Digital transformation of pyrometallurgical technologies: State, scientifc problems and prospects of development

The article considers an overview and critical analysis of the digitalization of the leading Russian ferrous metallurgy enterprises in accordance with the Industry 4.0 development concept. It provides for the creation of digital twins of pyrometallurgical technologies, the widespread use of machine vision and artifcial intelligence. The examples of domestic industrial systems using the technologies of machine (technical) vision in production cycle, digital assistants (twins) of metallurgical units and their sets are presented. With regard to blast­furnace production, technical vision systems used to control processes in the upper and lower zones of blast furnace are considered. A promising area is the integration of technical vision and decision support systems, including algorithms and software modules for implementation of deterministic mathematical models of individual phenomena of blast furnace smelting. They are based on fundamental physical concepts of blast­furnace smelting processes. One of the main directions of digital transformation of pyrometallurgical technologies is creation of intelligent control systems for technological process in metallurgy in real time. When formulating and solving problems, it is required not only to study the characteristics describing the effect of change in melting conditions on technical and economic indicators of the operation of individual furnaces, but also a detailed analysis for mathematical description of external and internal constraints. The authors present the examples of subsystems for control of heat losses in a blast furnace, predicting the parameters of tuyere hearths and controlling distribution of blast parameters around the perimeter of a blast furnace, an automated system for analyzing and predicting production situations in a blast furnace. Creation of such systems was carried out on the basis of modern principles and technologies for the development of appropriate mathematical, algorithmic and software support.

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