BLAST FURNACE DISASTER AVOIDANCE SYSTEM

A blast furnace hearth chill can be one of the most serious disruptions in the steelmaking process, resulting in equipment damage and extended shutdowns. In order to provide the operators with advance notification of potential chill conditions at Dofasco's #4 Blast Furnace hearth, the Blast Furnace Disaster Avoidance System was developed. The system uses a multivariate statistical model to predict the hot metal temperature two hours in advance. Results analysis has shown that the system is able to provide advance notice of 70% of potential chill conditions.