Development of a system for monitoring the freeboard in a ladle during tapping from a converter

The freeboard in a steel-pouring ladle (the difference between the top edge of the ladle and the surface of the melt inside it) is an important parameter in treatments given to steel outside the steelmaking furnace. This parameter is very difficult to determine while the steel is being tapped from the converter. The converter shop at the Severstal combine has introduced a video monitoring system to keep track of the freeboard in ladles during the tapping operation. The hardware and software of the system were developed by the Pribor Scientific-Technical Center. The system monitors the tapping operation in real time, estimating the freeboard in the process and displaying the result on a monitor along with a video image of the ladle as it is filled. The monitor is installed in the same control panel used to direct the movement of the converter. This allows the operator to not only monitor the tapping operation but also to stop it when the level of molten steel in the ladle reaches the prescribed height.