METHOD FOR CONTROLLING A PROCESSING LINE FOR THERMAL TREATMENT OF A METAL STRIP, AND PROCESSING LINE FOR IMPLEMENTING THE METHOD

摘要

The invention relates to a method for controlling heating (Z2) and supporting (Z3) areas of a continuous processing line for thermal treatment of a metal strip, said line being provided with radiating tubes heated by the combustion of a fossil fuel, the line comprising an enclosure which the metal strip enters on a plurality of rollers for guiding same, during multiple passes. The rollers are, in particular, vertical. The radiating tubes are arranged in rows and columns. The radiating tubes have an all-or-nothing operation, by being switched on or off. The heating area comprises a number N_max of radiating tubes such as to ensure, when all the tubes operate continuously, the heating capacity P_max of the line. When the required heating capacity P_requise is lower than P_max, a limited number of radiating tubes are operated continuously in the heating area, corresponding to the required heat demand in said heating area, a reduced number of tubes operating intermittently such as to respond to fluctuations in the heat demand around a mean value.