The influence of the space between the billets on the productivity of a continuous walking-beam furnace

This paper presents a study of the influence of the space between billets on the productivity of a continuous walking-beam furnace. The study was performed using a simulation model of a billet-rehealing process for three different billet dimensions. The simulation model considered the exact geometry of the furnace enclosure, including the geometry of the billets inside the furnace. A view-factor matrix of the furnace enclosure was determined using the Monte Carlo method. The heat exchange between the furnace gas, the furnace wall and the billet's surface was calculated using a three-temperature model. The temperature of the furnace floor was determined using a heat-balance equation, and the heat conduction in the billets was calculated using the 3D finite-difference method. The model was validated using measurements from trailing thermocouples positioned in the test billet during the reheating process in the furnace. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.