Experience with real-time monitoring of the profile of working blast furnaces

This article discusses the significant effect of the profile of blast furnaces on the technical-economic indices that characterize their performance. The working profile may differ appreciably from the design profile and needs to be determined in real time. It is shown that real-time monitoring of the profile of operating blast furnaces can be done by an acoustic method from nondestructive testing. Examples that are given show the results of diagnostic evaluations of furnace profiles. These results are compared to data obtained in the blow-out of furnaces and are correlated with likely explanations of the changes seen in the working profile.