EXPERIENCE AND DEVELOPMENT OF METHODS TO ESTIMATE BLAST FURNACE REFRACTORY LINING CONDITIONS

Acousto – Ultrasonic – Echo (AU-E) method of non-distractive  testing of refractory lining conditions is developed by Hatch (Canada)  to estimate refractory wear of blast furnaces and electrical smelters  in non-ferrous and ferro-alloys industries. This system compliments  the traditional modeling of heat transfer of blast furnace lining based  on imbedded thermocouples data and additionally allows to determine  location of cracks/anomalies and boundary between refractory lining  and accretion. The limitations and accuracy of AU-E method are discussed and confirmed by comparison with physical measurements on  cold furnaces. Improvement of the method allowed to take into account  the influence of high temperatures, profile of the furnace and its dimensions and difference in the acoustic resistance of various layers of  multilayer refractory lining on the regularity of wave propagation. The  AU-E method is a reliable and non-destructive method for controlling  the state of refractory masonry of smelting furnaces. The hardware and  software of the AU-E system underwent a significant improvement,  which made it possible to obtain measurement results with sufficient  accuracy. Examples of AU-E method application to numerous furnaces  in Russian Federation and around the Globe as well as some technological measures to prolong blast furnace campaign are presented and  discussed. It was shown that results of several consecutive measurements allow estimation of the rate of refractory wear and prediction of  the end point of blast furnace campaign. AU-E method is successfully  applied for more than 70 blast furnaces around the World including  blast furnaces of NLMK. CherMK, NTMK, ZapSib and MMK in Russian Federation and also for numerous copper, platinum, nickel and  ferro-alloy smelters etc.

blast  furnace,   refractory  lining,   acoustic,   ultrasound,   nondestractive,  diagnostics,  campaign

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