Energy-Efficient Control of Continuous Reheating Furnaces

Several control strategies for reducing the energy consumption of continuous reheating furnaces are reviewed. The energy flows and the efficiencies occurring in such furnaces are analyzed. Moreover, the nexus between energy savings and emission reduction is discussed. A case study of an industrial slab reheating furnace shows how the implementation of a nonlinear model predictive controller for the slab temperatures has reduced the primary energy consumption by 9.6%.