Model for Real-Time Prediction of Cohesive Zone Shape and Location Inside Blast Furnace

A combined approach of mathematical modeling along with available furnace operating & probe data has been attempted for online estimation of cohesive zone profile in one of the blast furnace in Tata Steel Ltd., Indian operation. For this, the blast furnace was divided into a number of zones each corresponding to a sample point of above burden probe resulting in number of concentric cylindrical columns. The mathematical model as a set of ordinary differential equations was solved using proper boundary conditions at top as actual plant process and probe measurements. The location of the cohesive zone was identified as the coordinates corresponding to softening-melting temperature for burden materials. The shape and location of cohesive zone estimated from this model is in well accordance with under burden probe temperature profiles. However, due to simplified method adopted for gas distribution and unknown kinetic parameters, the thermal reserve zone could not be realized in model results. Further validation with many more data set of different operating regimes is planned to address above mentioned imperfections and make the model more reliable for its implementation as a blast furnace process control model.