The article presents the achievements of the Ural scientific school  of scientists and metallurgists-heating engineers in improving a wide  spectrum of metallurgical technologies determined on a scientific basis of the creative union of two sciences – physics and computer science.  In recent years, mathematical modeling in combination with physical significantly reduce the time and scope of the search for optimal  solutions and thereby provide more reliable design and commissioning of thermal regimes of established technologies and equipment.  Moderni zation of sintering machines was carried out by introduction  of automatic control systems of thermal and gas-dynamic processes  and by equipping them by the ignition furnaces of new type. These activities with the intensification of heat-mass transfer processes have  improved the feasibility and environmental performance of the sinter  plants in Russia and abroad. Technological and thermo-physical solutions du ring the pellets firing are associated with organization of the  transfer system of gas flows and reconstruction of gas duct system. As  a result of reconstruction, the productivity of machines increased by  10  –  17  %, the specific fuel consumption decreased by 8  –  15  % and  the discharge of gases after their treatment decreased by 50  –  58  %.  Such reconstruction was made for firing machines in Russia, Brazil,  Iran. In recent years, the software has been developed for the solution  of complex problems in blast furnace production. It was introduced  into commercial operation at the largest metallurgical enterprise in  Russia – JSC “MMK”. New Cowper blast heaters for blast furnaces  are able to provide heating up to 1300  °C or more by the heating of  blast furnace gas and air used for heating of Cowper blast heaters at  failure from supplements of natural gas. The problem of processing of  metallurgical liquid slag is solved by the creation at factories of ferrous metallurgy of Russia, Ukraine, India and China of units, which  are capable to provide high productivity rate of slag discharge from 3   to 15  t/ min and by annual volumes of granular slag production – from  0.66 to 2.0 million tons. The installation of the company “Norilsk  Nickel” also works successfully. The improvement of thermal modes  and equipment of heating furnaces and installations for various purposes is based on mathematical modeling of thermophysical processes,  the basis of which is the created dynamic zonal-node method of modeling radiative and complex heat transfer. This method is successfully  developing. In recent years, new designs of furnaces are developed,  hundreds of furnaces were upgraded. The organization of thermal  modes of their operation has led to a significant reduction in specific  fuel consumption, improving the quality of metal heating and during  heat treatment – the quality of the finished product.

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.

A short description of the mathematical models of blast-furnace  process and the estimation technique of metallurgical characteristics  quantitative influence of iron ore raw materials and coke on technical  and economic indicators of blast furnace smelting developed at Institute of metallurgy of Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences  are provided. Features of these mathematical models are the main: for  a complex of mathematical models – two-regularity of blast-furnace  process put at a problem definition for balance logic-statistical model  –  possibility of the accounting of metallurgical characteristics of iron ore  raw materials (agglomerate and pellets) in analysis of the blast furnace smelting phenomena. The original estimation procedure of influence of quality characteristics of iron ore raw materials and coke on  technical and economic indices of blast furnace smelting is described.  The essence of this procedure consists in the following: examination  in vitro the metallurgical characteristics of iron ore raw materials (reducibility, strength, softening and melting temperatures), definition  by means of mathematical models of technical and economic indices  of blast furnace smelting, carrying out trial and industrial trials. Effects of examination of influence of basicity of industrial agglomerate  from titanomagnetite concentrate on technical and economic indices  of blast furnace smelting are given. The results of literary and one’s  examinations on detection of the stabilized phase of two-calcic silicate  SFCA are provided. The understanding of shaping mechanisms of such  phases can lead of efficiency increase of industrial sintering processes.  The micro X-ray diffraction analysis by raster-type electron microscope (Scanning Electron Microscope, SEM) JSM-5900LM has been  carried out to study of mineralogical composition of the agglomerates.  Existence of particular correlation of agglomerate phase composition  and its hot strength was revealed. According to the calculations with  the use of mathematical model such rise of agglomerate hot strength  can give economy of coke about 3.9 kg/t of cast iron and efficiency  rise about 6.3 %. The influence estimation of chemical composition  of blast furnace charge was fulfilled taking into account the degree of  iron reduction on location and the shape of cohesion zone in the blast  furnace. For the calculation, predictive physico-chemical models have  been used that allow to take into account the influence of the chemical  composition of iron-ore materials and their ratios on the softening and  melting temperatures of the agglomerated iron-ore material from the  titanomagnetite concentrate.

The present article demonstrates the results of experimental and  calculated researches of the rapid (gradient) heating of the working  layer of the cold working roll barrel in the unit, consisting of a chamber  furnace with special design and a spraying unit, located under the furnace in special pit and able to move up for rapid cooling of the working  roll layer. In the process of the roll heating its barrel and some parts of  the necks are located within the working chamber area while the other  (external) parts of the necks are situated outside the heating chamber  and rest upon the drive rollers, which are designed to ensure rotation  of the roll barrel in the course of its heating and subsequent cooling.  Therefore, it is necessary to ensure hardening only of the working roll  layer that is why the neck parts located inside the furnace are equipped  with special heat-insulated inserts to prevent their hardening. The  experimental rolls are equipped with the thermocouples to measure  temperature both in different points of their surface and in the depth  of their barrel and necks with the aim to develop the various roll heat  treatment conditions. A process of heat treatment included rigid requirements concerning smoothness of the roll barrel surface heating at  very close limits for under-heating zones in the extreme sections near  surface end faces. Besides, it was necessary to ensure low temperature  of the necks located within the working furnace area. The experimental  researches of the temperature fields under different conditions of the  rapid roll heating allowed us to reach a high speed of the roll heating  and cooling and, respectively, the required structure of the working  roll barrel layer. At the same time, in the process of the experimental  researches and calculations of the temperature fields according to the  specially developed program, the authors have revealed intensive heat  leak via external open neck parts under the existing conditions of heating gas input and output and roll location with the necks being, par tially, beyond the heating chamber. The above-mentioned researches  allowed revealing also a sufficient (as compared with the admissible  one) non-uniformity of the temperature field of the barrel surface in  the end zones of the roll being heated. It was also determined in the  course of the experimental researches that change of the external heat  exchange conditions between the working furnace area and roll surface does not eliminate non-uniformity of the temperature field in the  end surface sections. A method of sufficient non-uniformity decrease  of heating of the end roll barrel sections has been offered and executed  calculations and analysis of the temperature fields have confirmed the  reality of its application.

 Carbon footprint is the mass of carbon formed in the full cycle  of production of one or another kind of product. This carbon is included in greenhouse gases. Carbon monoxide and greenhouse gases  (methane and carbon dioxide) are generated at the production of iron  and steel. Methane and carbon monoxide burn up to carbon dioxide by  the realization of secondary energy resources. Therefore, the carbon  footprint at the production of iron and steel is determined by weight  of formed carbon dioxide. As the results of analysis of the production  processes of iron and steel it was revealed that the tandem of blast  furnace with electric arc furnace is characterized by a lower value of  integrated through emissions of CO2 than the tandem of blast furnace  with an oxygen converter. It is proposed to process the cast iron, made  by one blast furnace, at the same time in the oxygen converter and in one or more electric arc furnaces. Moreover in the electric arc furnace  is loaded 30  % of iron which are produced in blast furnace, and the  remaining 70  % are complemented by metal scrap. In the oxygen converter the part of cast iron (75  –  85  %) is loaded, which are remained  after loading in the arc furnace. The converter is applied by the metal  scrap for full loading. Calculations of through emission of carbon dioxide for different triads of these units are made. The simultaneous use  of oxygen converter with electric arc furnaces for cast iron smelting  obtained from one blast furnace helps to reduce confidently the emission of carbon dioxide to 20 % as it follows from the calculations. This  suggests that this triad of used units conforms to green technology.  Example of the use of marked triad is for a full load of the converter  is applied to metal scrap. the calculations through emissions of carbon  dioxide for different triads of these units. From these calculations it follows that the simultaneous use of oxygen converters from electric arc  furnaces for smelting iron, obtained from one blast furnace, it helps to  reduce the emission of carbon dioxide to 20 %. This suggests that this  triad used units conforms to green technology. An example of using  the noted triad is the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works, which, in addition to the oxygen converter, uses electric arc furnaces for smelting  steel using electric power produced by the enterprise by burning fuel  secondary energy resources from aggregates in which fuel is burnt.  This practice can be recommended for a number of other metallurgical  enterprises.

Natural gas can be additionally used to reduce coke consumption  in a shaft furnace of cupola type with an open or closed furnace top. Its  burning is typically made in the external hearths installed around the  perimeter of the furnace shell. Depending on design, the burners provide a partial or complete pre-mixing of gas and air at air flow rate of  1.2 to 1.5. Further, the combustion gas is fed directly to a charge layer.  When implementing this method, the coke consumption was 8  –  9  %  of furnace charge and fuel gas consumption was 30  –  40  m3/t of melt.  For these conditions, there were observed a slight increase in the temperature of the melt (10  –  20  °C) and productivity growth of 15  –  20  %  while reducing the amount of harmful gaseous emissions by 20  –  25  %  (mostly of CO). In the work of the cupola, periodic disruptions of the  gas-dynamical regime were observed accompanied by the suspension  of the charge material layer, as well as cooling of the resulting melt, an  increase in chemical underburn and deterioration of service conditions  of the lining materials. When using the layered method for the gas  mixture combustion, it is fed into the heated layer of bulk mate rials  with the air flow rate not below 2.5  –  3.0 with formation of a hightemperature zone of 1350  –  1380  °С and the width of 60  –  70  mm,  able  to  move  through  the  layer  at  a  speed  of  15  –  20  mm/min.   To implement it in the thick ventilated layer it is necessary to ensure  uniform mixing of gas and air, required gas-dynamic conditions and  formation of set “gas-air” ratio in the air flow rate more than 2.5 and  3.0. When supplying the cold gas-air mixture in a layer of shaft furnaces by tuyeres, the combustion zone divides the whole layer into two  stages: initial and final. The high temperature level of combustion zone  provides substantial cooling rate of the materials at the stage of gas-air  mixture ignition, which prevents it from fire in free upperlayer space.  The absence of direct contact of high temperatures zone with a unit  working space increases the reliability and efficiency of this process  (no heat losses). The use of the layered method of natural gas burning  to heat the cast iron cupola increase the productivity of the melting  unit from 10 to 13.6  t/h, or 36  % while reducing specific consumption  of coke for 80  kg/t or 33.3  %, decrease in the total consumption of heat  for the process by 25  kW, or 18.78  % and heat losses in the exhaust 
gases by 25.32  kW, or 16.2  %. The overall thermal efficiency of the  unit increased from 35.58 to 42.26  % or by 15.81  %.

The analysis of effects and risks of the main measures aimed at  reducing energy costs has shown that the change in any one parameter  is ineffective. The greatest effect can be achieved by the joint change of  several variables. Theoretical analysis made it possible to identify the  main combinations of changes in the regime parameters, which provide the greatest effect on the particular activity factor. The influence  of the granulometric composition of the agglomerate on the efficiency  of blast furnace smelting was examined through the influence of average diameter of the pieces, both on the rate of recovery and on the gas  dynamics of furnace upper zone. It is shown that the variations in heat  costs are largely determined by the fluctuations in recovery work of  gas flow, which, in turn, depends on granulometric composition of the  agglomerate. It was established that when the FeO  +  CO  =  Fe  +  CO2  reaction is approached to balance, the heat loss reduction for cast iron  smelting is achieved by increasing the melting intensity. The specific  ways of reducing the heat costs for cast iron smelting in blast furnaces were analyzed on the example of PAO NLMK. It is shown that  the main activities providing the reduction of heat losses in the plant  conditions are: quality optimization of the iron ore materials due to  the fraction decrease of +45  mm; increasing the intensity of the blastfurnace operation to relative production of 75  –  90  tons per day from  square meter of the blast-furnace hearth; blast-furnace operation at the  alarm pressure (according to the design of charging equipment); increasing the coke strength reactivity up to 60  –  62  %; pulverized coal  injection up to 140  kg per ton of cast iron and optimization of the ore  load distribution on the furnace’s radius. As a result of these measures  implementation in 2013  –  2016, the coke rate reduction by more than  10  kg per ton of cast iron was achieved. In this case, not only the specific consumption of coke, but also the consumption of total carbon of  fuel is reduced.

 Modern regenerative burners for heating and thermal furnaces  have rather larger sizes and small heat exchange period time that is  connected with a low thermal capacity of the refractory materials  applied to production of a nozzle. Considerable decrease in the sizes  of nozzle and increase in heat exchange period time can be reached  by using the hidden warmth of metals melting, which can be placed  in the closed thin-walled reservoirs. In addition, the paper propose  section design and a heat exchange unit enable to solve the problem  of reducing the size of regenerative unit and increase the time of the  swap, compared to existing regenerators that are used for air heating  in regenerative burners. The proposed design can be used to create  regenerative burners, a new class of highly effective, high temperature air preheating, and considerable time of swap. Such reservoirs,  in which temperature of metal melting is equal, are packed in the sections. The next sections’ melting temperature differs approximately by 100  °C. It allows to maintain the fixed section temperature, which  is equal the temperature of metal melting in this section, and removing from its surface or giving it, by products of combustion, warmth,  which sets out in case of crystallization or is absorbed when metal  kernel melts. Calculation of the swap time and the metal mass in one  section, based on the joint solution of equations of heat balance and  heat transfer between the heated air and the surface of tanks, allows  to determine the overall dimensions of each section, filled with melting or crystallizing metal and its heat exchange surface. Fusible kernel mass, sizes of section and heat exchange period time calculations  for regenerative block consisting of ten sections with a fusible kernel  is given in this work. Calculation proves a possibility of decrease in  dimensions of a regenerative nozzle for a 200 kW burner, and increase in heat exchange period time, while air heating temperature  remains constant. The technical solution can be used in a thin-walled  container in which are placed the metals with different heat of fusion. Large size regenerative burners hamper their use in heating and  thermal furnaces, and fast parecidos leads to a decrease in period of  operation of the changeover valve.

 The design of the air cooling device for the furnace fan’s shaft of  rod type of three standard sizes is proposed. During the experiments at the experimental stand, the convective heat transfer from the surface of  these devices to the environment at a different shaft rotation frequency  was obtained critically. It was established that in the range of variation  of the relative length of the rods from 3.3 to 6.1, a regime close to the  self-similar mode takes place, where the heat transfer from their surface can be described by a universal dependence. In the range of variation of the relative length of the rods from 6.1 to 8.6, the experimental  data are generalized in the form of a power law with a proportionality  coefficient that depends on the ratio of the shaft diameter to the outer  diameter of the device. The least coefficient of heat transfer from the external surface was found in ST-346 with the largest outside diameter  and, correspondingly, the longest rods, which is apparently due to the  fact that in the process of heat transfer from the shaft to the environment, the limiting heat exchange section is the heat supply by heat  conduction along of the rods axis. The highest heat transfer coefficient  under comparable conditions is observed in ST-286 with medium rods,  where the heat supply is more balanced by thermal conductivity along  the rods and its removal from their external surfaces by convection to  the environment. When comparing the data obtained with CT-286 and  CT-220, it was found that at the same shaft rotation frequency, the heat  transfer coefficient over the surface of ST-286 is about 15–20  %, which  is associated with a decrease in intensity of air blowing of shortened  rods of ST-220 due to the decrease in their average linear speed of  movement along the circumference. From the analysis of the obtained  results, it follows that the most effective in comparable conditions is  the device with a maximum diameter of 346 mm, where the dissipated  thermal power in the steady state is 1.1 times higher than that of the  device with a diameter of 286 mm and 2.0 times greater than for devices with a diameter of 220 mm. The obtained materials can be used  in the design of heating and thermal furnaces using forced coolant circulation. 

 Lisakovsk deposit of brown iron ore (Kostanay region, Kazakhstan) is developed by the open method, which provides cheaper  ore mining. At the LF LLP “Orken”, the ore is enriched in a gravitymagnetic process to produce a gravitational-magnetic concentrate containing 48 to 49 % of Fe, 10 to 12 % of SiO2 , 4.5 to 5.5 % of Al2O3  and 0.7–0.9 % of P. The product is supplied to the agglomeration in  JSC  “Arcelor Mittal Temirtau” (Temirtau, Kazakhstan). Because of  the increased content of phosphorus in the gravitational-magnetic concentrate, the demand for it is limited. Lysakovsk concentrate contains  a significant amount of hydrated moisture (up to 12 %). Most of the  moisture is in the form of iron hydrates and decomposes at a moderate  temperature of 320–350 °C. The other part, apparently, is associated  with a phosphorus-containing component decomposing at elevated  temperature. In this process, oxidative firing results in the formation  of free phosphorus oxide. Studies on decompounding a hydrated phosphorous-containing component in Lisakovsk iron ore concentrate were  undertaken to determine kinetics of the process. Removal of phosphorus from the iron ore concentrate during preparation for metallurgical  processing is possible after high-temperature oxidizing roasting of the  material and subsequent sulphuric acid leaching. Phosphorus is not  leached from the original concentrate by hydrometallurgical method.  Using high temperature, it is necessary to break the chemical bond  and transfer phosphorous to a free oxide. Complete decompounding  of the hydrated phosphorous-containing component at roasting affects the quality of subsequent sulphuric acid treatment of the roasted  product. High-temperature hydrate moisture is exuded from Lisakovsk  concentrate step-by-step. The rate of high-temperature dehydration de creases with the rise of calcination temperature, which is explained by  slow water vapour diffusion through the layer of material that becomes  packed at the temperature rise.

To solve the problem of determining the flame temperature in  the working space of the thermal units it is proposed to calculate the  change of adiabatic enthalpy by using methods of probability theory.  It is shown that the normal function of the fuel cells distribution allows to obtain the integral function of enthalpy and adiabatic temperature along the length of flame distribution, including at asymmetrical  distribution function. The problem is solved regarding homogeneous  diffusive gaseous flames, associated with the combustion of sprayed  liquid fuel. Transfer equations solutions regularization’s conditions are  defined, homochronic number and Bio mass transfer number relation’s  approximations are proposed. For synthesis of the solution on canals  of initial forms the corresponding linear connections are proposed;  the limits of change of the mass transfer Bio number and the convergence of series sums in the regularization of solutions of the surface  combustion equation are defined according to the method of BurkeSchumann. Flame length’s dispersion factor’s variability is considered.  The explanation of the S-shaped temperature curve observed by the  burning of nearly all fuels in installations of various types is proposed.  Flame processes generally examined by probability theory with various density of normal distribution function φ(U) for homogenic flame  by normal integral function Ф(U) are described. The steady form Ф(U)  significantly explains the S-shaped longitudinal temperature function  observed in practice and which serves as a basis for thermal and nonstationary theory of ignition. Actual flame’s temperature determination  is possible on flare’s continuum adiabatic temperature placement taking into account the radiative properties of all heat transfer system’s  elements. Likewise the task of heterogenic flame’s axial temperature’s  description with variable dispersion factor σ can be solved.

A feature of the smelting of copper-bearing ores in the Vanyukov furnace is the formation of liquid products in the form of slag and  matte melts, which, as a rule, merge into separate containers (mixer  furnaces), where it is necessary to maintain the desired temperature.  The mixer oven is a cylindrical container lined inside, closed from  both sides by end bottoms, on the one hand a burner is installed to  heat and maintain the temperature inside the container, on the other  hand, a filler neck is placed.Automated burner devices GPM-3,6 were  developed, manufactured and put into operation in slag and matte  holding furnaces at the copper-smelting plant of Almalyk Mi ning  and Metallurgical Complex (Republic of Uzbekistan). The burner  devices are designed for heating holding furnaces up to the operating temperatures of 1250  –  1275  °C and 1110  –  1150  °C respectively  and maintaining the temperature of liquid melt poured in the mixer  at the preset level at any technological operations. The automated  system provides reliable and safe operation of the burner devices,  including cold ignition, operation within the preset temperature ranges by regulation of heat loads and shutoffs, among other things in  case of emergency. Simultaneously, full information is transferred  and exchanged with the central controller of the Automated Control  System of Vanyukov Furnace through Profibus DP. The developed  burner devices fully comply with the requirements of the Technical  Regulations of the Customs Union TR TC 010/2011 On Safety of  Machines and Equipment and with the norms and rules of metallurgical production. For the gas supply of burners, a special gas ramp was  developed, which is a compact (separate) section of the gas pipeline  with all the necessary gas equipment for operation of the main and  pilot burners, both in manual control mode and in automatic mode.  The gas train includes a gas safety system. The presence of such a  ramp ensures regulation of the gas pressure to the parameters required for the operation of the main burner, smooth regulation of fuel  consumption within the stable operation of the burner, technological  accounting of gas consumption for mixer heating and safe operation  of the pilot and main burners. For air supply of the burner device,  an air ramp was also designed, which is a compact section of the air  pipe with shut-off and control valves installed on it. The composition  of the air ramp includes a swivel assembly that allows the mixer to  rotate to a certain angle for draining the melt without disconnecting  the burner air duct.

 Experience shows that the creation and successful introduction of  modern automated information systems into the practice of metallurgical enterprises largely depends on the technologies used to develop and  to select the tools for their software implementation. The article briefly  reflects the main technologies and software used to create software  for information modeling systems to solve technological problems in  metallurgy. The basis is the use of a flexible development methodology  – the Agile method, which focuses on the use of iterative develop ment, the dynamic formation of user requirements, and the provision  of their implementation as a result of constant interaction within working groups consisting of specialists of various profiles (users, analysts,  programmers, testers). Iteration is a relatively short development time  (usually a month), after which the users are provided with the next tested version of the software product with new functional properties. The  list of realized functional properties is priority for users and is formed  from the general list of requirements before the beginning of each  itera tion. During each iteration, the following processes are sequentially performed: checking the correctness of the calculation algorithm  (if necessary, entering new calculated indicators); functional modeling  of the system; improvement of the structure of the subsystem; conceptual modeling of the database, generation of the database model;  loading test data into the database; creation of functional diagrams of  mathematical library; implementation of client software subsystems; testing and debugging of software; development of reference documentation. Managing individual tasks and monitoring the progress of  their implementation in the course of collective software development  are carried out on the basis of the Atlassian JIRA system. Code storage  and versioning of software are performed in a remote repository on the  Atlasian Bitbucket platform. The use of modern technologies, tools  and techniques for developing software products makes it possible to  create functional, reliable, easy-to-use, followed, integrated systems  with minimal risks and at acceptable times.