Method and device for assessing a status of a material in metallurgical containers

Abstract

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EVALUATING THE STATUS OF A MATERIAL IN METALLURGICAL VESSELS. The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for evaluating the status of a refractory material in metallurgical vessels, including furnaces and ladles, wherein an external structure at least partially encircling the refractory material hinders the propagation of radio frequency signals. The apparatus and method are operative for identifying flaws and determining the erosion profile and thickness of refractory material and the level or rate of penetration of molten material into the refractory material, using radio frequency signals. The apparatus comprises an antenna embedded in the refractory material or positioned within the chamber of the vessel designed to collect data associated with the propagation of radio frequency signals transmitted by the antenna within the refractory material.Furthermore, signal processing techniques allow determining the status of the vessel's inner wall due to operational wear, age, and the presence of defects, cracks, corrosion, and erosion, in order to improve the vessel's operational life and maintenance.

Description

1 / 31 METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EVALUATING THE STATUS OF A MATERIAL IN METALLURGICAL CONTAINERS. CROSS-REFERENCE ON RELATED REQUEST.

[0001] This request is based on and claims priority from the Request of US Provisional Patent Copendente Serial Number 63 / 005,499, entitled METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EVALUATING THE STATUS OF A MATERIAL IN METALLURGICAL CONTAINERS, filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office on April 6, 2020, by the inventor herein, the specification of which is incorporated herein by reference. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for evaluating the status of a material. More specifically, the present invention relates to detection systems and methods for monitoring and determining the condition of refractory material using radio frequency (RF) signals. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0003] A number of evaluation methods and devices have been described within various industries for measuring properties during and after the formation of certain materials using RF signals. Surface characteristics, internal homogeneity, residual material thickness, erosion rate of a material, and the level and rate of penetration of a first material into a second material are some of the important attributes that may require monitoring and evaluation. Notably, the type and arrangement of sensors around the material under evaluation play a crucial role in determining the extent to which these attributes can be measured.

[0004] In particular, the metallurgical industries use large vessels, such as furnaces and ladles, to melt the raw material used for processing. These are a fundamental asset for Petition 870260047389, dated 05 / 19 / 2026, page 25 / 117 2 / 31 manufacturers in terms of cost and operational functionality. In order to minimize internal heat loss at high operating temperatures, these furnaces and ladles are constructed using refractory material, which has very high melting temperatures and good insulation properties, to create the refractory melting chamber. However, the internal refractory walls of the furnaces and ladles will degrade during operation. The effects of this degradation include refractory erosion, refractory corrosion, stress cracking, and diffusion of refractory material into the molten material. On the other hand, as the refractory material degrades over time, the molten material can penetrate the refractory material, accelerating the degradation process and creating a high risk of molten material leakage through the refractory wall with potentially devastating consequences.

[0005] Specifically, the use of microwave signals to measure the thickness of materials such as furnace walls has been addressed in the prior art, as described in U.S. Patent No. 6,198,293 to Woskov et al. and U.S. Patent No. 9,255,794 to Walton et al. However, these efforts have faced certain challenges and limitations. Specifically, attempts to determine furnace wall thickness in hot furnaces have been challenged by the large signal losses involved in evaluating the internal surface of refractory materials, especially when using a microwave signal transmitted from outside the furnace in relatively high frequency bands. Similarly, in relatively low frequency bands, the signals still experience losses and are limited in terms of the bandwidth and resolution required by existing systems.Furthermore, by placing system components close to the surface of the refractory material to be evaluated, spurious signal reflections make it difficult to isolate the reflected signal of interest, thus further complicating the assessment of the status or surface. Petition 870260047389, dated 05 / 19 / 2026, page 26 / 117 3 / 31 internal or from the interior of such materials. A major challenge is that furnace walls become more electrically conductive as the temperature increases. Therefore, signals traveling through a hot furnace wall experience significant losses, making the detection of these signals very challenging. Furthermore, in most cases, monitoring sensors require direct physical access to the refractory material under evaluation and are sensitive to the presence of certain nearby objects, especially those made of metallic material.

[0006] Further efforts have been made to assess the status of a material using electromagnetic waves, reducing losses and the level of spurious signals involved in the evaluation of refractory materials, as described in US Patent No. 10,151,709 to Bayram et al., US Patent No. 9,880,110 to Ruege et al., and US Patent No. 10,054,367 to Bayram et al. However, these systems are primarily aimed at mitigating multiple reflection effects of the electromagnetic waves used in order to reduce the disorder associated with a received signal. Furthermore, these attempts have focused on independent systems transmitting electromagnetic waves from outside the furnace into the refractory material.As a result, these efforts became ineffective in the case of a furnace or pan surrounded by either an outer enclosure or certain support structures, where such enclosure and structures are made of a highly conductive material and hinder the propagation of electromagnetic waves through them, or for applications in hard-to-reach areas where an external evaluation system cannot be properly configured.

[0007] The descriptive reports of each of the US Patents The above references are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

[0008] Specifically in steel metallurgy, a blast furnace or Petition 870260047389, dated 05 / 19 / 2026, page 27 / 117 4 / 31 Electric arc furnaces are used for high-speed melting of steel and to perform metallurgical reactions to adjust the final chemical composition of the steel. Subsequently, the molten steel is transported to a ladle for further refining. Steel treatment in the ladle includes the addition of deoxidizers, slag formers, desulfurizers, and bonding agents. These additives, along with the high temperatures at which the ladle operates, accelerate and significantly contribute to severe stress, wear, and degradation of both the inner walls and the bottom of the ladle. Specifically, electric arc furnaces, with a capacity of up to 50 tons or more, and ladles are widely used to produce steel. These ladles need to be subjected to maintenance for residue removal and inspection, and sometimes repaired as frequently as on a weekly basis.Similarly, steelmaking can also involve blast furnaces, which are subject to continuous melting operation. These furnaces have an outer steel lining with a refractory interior that interacts with the molten material. As the refractory degrades, the blast furnace needs to be maintained to ensure there is no unscheduled production interruption.

[0009] Furthermore, the flow of molten material, such as molten steel, at high temperatures corrodes and degrades the inner surface of the refractory material and creates a high risk of molten steel leakage through the refractory wall and / or severe damage to the furnace's outer shell. A large molten steel leak through openings and cracks in the furnace walls may require at least 30 days of production downtime before the furnace can be restored to operation because it needs to be cooled, repaired, and restarted. Moreover, a molten steel leak can cause significant damage to equipment around the furnace and, most importantly, endanger the health and lives of workers. For these reasons, in most cases Petition 870260047389, dated 05 / 19 / 2026, page 28 / 117 In 5 out of 31 cases, general furnace overhauls are conducted substantially earlier than necessary. This leads to significant costs for manufacturers in terms of their initial investment and reduced production capacity over the furnace's operational life.

[0010] Consequently, it is critical for furnace operators to efficiently plan maintenance and monitor the degradation of refractory material in the furnace walls to extend the furnace's operational life and plan for required furnace shutdowns when truly necessary. A furnace's lifespan is affected by a number of factors, including operational age, average operating temperature, heating and cooling temperature rates, operating temperature range, number of operating cycles, and the type and quality of refractory material, as well as the charge and type of molten material and additives used in the furnace. Each of these factors is subject to uncertainties that make it difficult to create accurate estimates of a furnace's expected lifespan and when to perform the corresponding maintenance tasks.

[0011] Currently, there is no well-established method and apparatus for deterministically and effectively measuring the thickness and erosion profile of the inner walls or measuring the level or rate of penetration of molten material into the surrounding refractory material of a furnace or ladle that has an outer steel casing. This hinders the ability to accurately estimate both the operational life and maintenance plan for a vast number of furnaces and ladles. As a result, manufacturers may experience unexpected leakage of molten material through the furnace wall, severe damage to the outer furnace casing, or the need to conservatively shut down the furnace for rebuilding in order to reduce the likelihood of any potential leakage or Petition 870260047389, dated 05 / 19 / 2026, page 29 / 117 6 / 31 severe damage, based on the manufacturer's experience with the expected lifespan of the oven.

[0012] Another important problem is that the material used to construct the furnace's refractory chamber may have internal flaws not visible by surface inspection. This could translate into a shorter furnace lifespan and present serious risks during furnace operation. Consequently, a common practice used by furnace operators to minimize the impact of a furnace breakdown and extend the furnace's operational life is to construct a grid structure to surround the outer furnace refractory walls. Typically, this grid consists of a set of elements, such as plates or bars made of steel or a material that has a relatively high electrical conductivity, which are arranged substantially parallel and perpendicular to each other to form a grid.

[0013] The grid provides structural support not only for degraded refractory walls but also for additional refractories installed in the furnace as a preventive or corrective maintenance measure. Furthermore, by absorbing and dissipating heat, the grid contributes to cooling the refractory material. However, the grid spacing between adjacent elements can be as small as a few centimeters, resulting in difficulty in obtaining direct access, required by most sensors using radio frequency signals, to the furnace wall, or an obstruction of signals to sensors physically unable to fit within the grid spacing dimensions. Therefore, the compromise of effective integration of a sensor, such as an antenna, and an existing or to-be-installed grid surrounding the refractory material of a furnace can translate into an inability to estimate the remaining operational life and maintenance plan of the furnace or ladle.

[0014] Thus, a need remains in the technique for Petition 870260047389, dated 05 / 19 / 2026, page 30 / 117 7 / 31 methods and devices capable of remotely assessing the status of refractory materials that are part of a furnace or ladle, through measurements of propagation RF signals, to avoid the problems of the methods and devices of the prior art. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0015] An apparatus and method for evaluating and monitoring the status of a refractory material forming part of a metallurgical vessel, such as a refractory furnace or ladle, wherein an external structure at least partially encircling the refractory material hinders the propagation of radio frequency signals, are described herein. One or more aspects of exemplary embodiments provide advantages while avoiding disadvantages of the prior art. The apparatus and method are operative for identifying flaws and determining the erosion profile and thickness of refractory material and the level or rate of penetration of molten material into the refractory material, using radio frequency signals. The apparatus comprises an antenna embedded in the refractory material or positioned within the chamber of the vessel designed to collect data associated with the propagation of radio frequency signals transmitted by the antenna within the refractory material.Furthermore, signal processing techniques allow determining the status of the inner wall of the vessel due to operational wear, age, and the presence of defects, cracks, corrosion, and erosion to improve the operational life and maintenance of the vessel.

[0016] The external structure that at least partially surrounds the refractory material of the vessel may be part of the vessel, as is typically the case with metallurgical ladles and certain furnaces, may be added, such as a grid structure to provide additional mechanical support to an existing furnace, or may simply be a nearby structure that hinders access to properly configure the transmission of an RF signal from outside the vessel to. Petition 870260047389, dated 05 / 19 / 2026, page 31 / 117 8 / 31 within the refractory material. Furthermore, within the context of the present invention, a container may include an oven or a pan, and the terms oven or pan are used interchangeably, as the invention applies to either or both.

[0017] The antenna transmits an RF signal into an area of ​​interest of the material to be evaluated. After the RF signal impinges on such an area, it is scattered and at least partially reflected by and at least partially transmitted through remote discontinuities. Any voids, flaws, the presence of a different material within the material to be evaluated, and any interface between two different materials, including air, can represent a remote discontinuity. The scattered RF signal is received by the same or a separate antenna and then measured, recorded, processed by a computer-based processor, and timed using as a reference the transmitted RF signal or the scattered RF signal from a known location of a discontinuity, such as the interface between the antenna and the surface of the material to be evaluated, as originally installed.

[0018] The computer-based processor has executable computer code configured to measure the received scattered RF signal to produce either time-domain data or frequency-domain data that are transformed into time-domain data and calibrate the time-domain data to distance-domain data. Specifically, where the magnitude of the disorder is below the magnitude of the scattered RF signal from a remote discontinuity of the material under evaluation, the computer-based processor identifies a peak magnitude level associated with this discontinuity and determines the distance from such discontinuity to the location associated with the reference RF signal. One or more evaluations on an area of ​​interest of the material under evaluation. Petition 870260047389, dated 05 / 19 / 2026, page 32 / 117 9 / 31 can provide the material thickness and the location of certain defects or foreign elements within the material. Furthermore, time-domain and / or frequency-domain signal processing techniques, or a combination of both, can be used to determine and visualize the status of the evaluated area of ​​interest.

[0019] In the present invention, the antenna is preferably embedded in the refractory material, more preferably using one or more cast refractory bricks, so that the antenna fits within the refractory material without gaps between the antenna's radiation edges and the refractory material. However, this is only possible to implement during initial construction or during major repairs of the container. Alternatively, another configuration of the present invention comprises an antenna positioned inside the container chamber. As a result, the refractory material of existing containers can also be evaluated. Furthermore, different fastening mechanisms could be incorporated into the antenna to physically position the antenna inside the container chamber.

[0020] The method for evaluating the status and measuring the erosion profile and thickness of different materials, including a refractory material that forms part of a metallurgical vessel, and the level or rate of penetration of molten material into the refractory material, includes the step of setting up at least one antenna embedded in such material or positioned within the vessel chamber. The method further includes the steps of transmitting at least one RF signal to an area of ​​interest of the material under evaluation and receiving at least one RF signal after impinging on such area. The method also includes measuring, recording, transferring, and processing the amplitude and phase of at least one received RF signal to determine a status of the material under evaluation, based on the results of the processed data. Petition 870260047389, dated 05 / 19 / 2026, page 33 / 117 10 / 31

[0021] By embedding at least part of the apparatus, such as the antenna, in the refractory material or positioning the antenna inside the chamber of a metallurgical vessel, the apparatus and method are able to identify flaws and measure the erosion profile of the inner surface of such material and the penetration of molten material into the refractory material. Consequently, the estimation of the remaining operational life of the vessel becomes more accurate, which in practice can mean extending the life of the vessel. This results in more effective and accurate scheduling to better manage the costly processes of repairing, decommissioning, or replacing metallurgical vessels, along with a significant reduction in the risk level of an operational rupture or leakage of molten material or severe damage to the outer metallic casing of the vessel.Thus, the device and method allow for more effective assessment, monitoring, diagnosis, or tracking of one or more conditions, which can extend the operational life and improve maintenance scheduling of expensive and potentially risky assets, such as a metallurgical vessel. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] The numerous advantages of the present invention can be better understood by those skilled in the art by reference to the accompanying drawings in which.

[0023] Figures 1A to 1C show various aspects of an apparatus used to evaluate the status of a material, which is part of a furnace or pan, according to certain aspects of an embodiment.

[0024] Figures 2A to 2C show various aspects of an apparatus used to evaluate the status of a material, which is part of a furnace or pan, according to additional aspects of an embodiment.

[0025] Figures 3A to 3C show various aspects of an apparatus used to assess the status of a material, which is part of a furnace. Petition 870260047389, dated 05 / 19 / 2026, p. 34 / 117 11 / 31 or panela, according to additional aspects of a modality.

[0026] Figure 4 shows a schematic view of a method for evaluating the status of a material according to still other aspects of a modality. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0027] The following description is of specific embodiments of the invention, presented to enable one to practice an implementation of the invention, and is not intended to limit the preferred embodiment, but to serve as a specific example thereof. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they may readily utilize the specific design and embodiments described as a basis for modifying or designing other methods and systems to perform the same purposes as the present invention. Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalent assemblies do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention in its broadest form.

[0028] According to certain aspects of an embodiment of the invention, Figures 1A to 1C show various aspects of an apparatus 10 used to assess the status of a furnace 12. The furnace 12 has an outer steel casing in this example. More specifically, the apparatus 10 assesses the status of the refractory material 14, which typically at least partially surrounds a chamber 15 of a furnace 12. In other words, the refractory material 14 is arranged in one or more layers between the chamber 15, where the melting of a material, such as steel, takes place, and the bottom and outer side walls of the furnace 12, including the outer steel casing. Typically, the various layers of refractory material 14 are formed using bricks arranged side by side from the bottom to the top of the furnace 12. Consequently, the refractory material 14 forms one or more walls surrounding the chamber 15 of the ladle or furnace 12, where a remote surface of a wall Petition 870260047389, dated 05 / 19 / 2026, page 35 / 117 12 / 31 internal refractory material 14 refers to the area of ​​such wall or surface adjacent to chamber 15 of furnace 12. Similarly, an external refractory material wall 14 is defined by the refractory material wall 14 located furthest from chamber 15 of furnace 12. Furthermore, one or more antenna assemblies comprising at least one antenna may be embedded within the refractory material 14. Each of these antenna assemblies may be controlled by a secondary computer-based processor, wherein a primary computer-based processor controls all secondary computer-based processors.

[0029] In this specific configuration, the apparatus 10 comprises a set of three antennas 17a, 17b and 17c, embedded within the refractory material 14. Preferably, the antennas 17a, 17b, 17c are designed and physically configured to operate embedded in one of the layers of refractory material 14. As a result, the antennas 17a, 17b, 17c have inherently matched impedance with the refractory material 14 and no impedance matching effort is required. More preferably, antennas 17a, 17b, 17c are embedded in refractory material 14 and positioned so that a transmission signal from antennas 17a, 17b, 17c propagates through refractory material 14 to reach most of a contour 16, which defines an interface between refractory material 14 and chamber 15. More preferably, each of antennas 17a, 17b, 17c is embedded in one or more cast bricks of refractory material 14.Ideally, during the furnace design, the appropriate location of antennas 17a, 17b, 17c is defined, and an array of each of the antennas 17a, 17b, 17c is constructed to be cast within a set of fusible refractory bricks that will form part of the inner wall of refractory material 14. Consequently, antennas 17a, 17b, 17c will be installed in the predefined locations during furnace construction. Petition 870260047389, dated 05 / 19 / 2026, page 36 / 117 13 / 31 Alternatively, a set of cast refractory bricks in which antennas 17a, 17b, 17c have been embedded can be used to replace ordinary, non-cast refractory bricks in the predefined locations during furnace maintenance.

[0030] Furthermore, as in this configuration the antennas are designed to be cast within the refractory bricks, so that the antenna fits within the refractory material without any gaps between the antenna radiation edges and the refractory material, there is no need for special efforts to match the impedance of the antennas with that of the refractory material, which is typically the case where the antennas are not cast and instead, externally mounted against the refractory material.

[0031] Apparatus 10 further comprises a transceiver 18 capable of transmitting and receiving RF signals and a set of cables 19a, 19b, and 19c for coupling transceiver 18 to antennas 17a, 17b, and 17c, respectively. Apparatus 10 further comprises a data storage device for storing data and a single computer-based processor, both of which may be integrated with transceiver 18. The stored data may be recoverable using a portable memory unit, a cable, or other electronic means known to those skilled in the art. Furthermore, at least partially, transceiver 18 may be integrated with one or more of antennas 17a, 17b, and 17c.Consequently, based on the level of integration of transceiver 18 and antennas 17a, 17b, and 17c, the refractory bricks and the outer steel casing of furnace 12 are physically configured to allow routing of cable assemblies 19a, 19b, and 19c or other control, power, or communication lines from antennas 17a, 17b, and 17c or at least part of transceiver 18 out of container 12. These physical configurations may include slots, holes, indentations, cuts, ducts, and passages. Petition 870260047389, dated 05 / 19 / 2026, page 37 / 117 14 / 31 Furthermore, the cable assembly 19a, 19b, and 19c may be able to withstand high temperatures of at least 500°C. It is noted that the components of transceiver 18, and specifically the storage device and the computer-based processor, were not shown since these components are not critical to the explanation of this embodiment.

[0032] During an assessment of the status of refractory material 14, and more specifically a contour 16 of the refractory material 14, the RF signals transmitted by the transceiver 18 through the antennas 17a, 17b, 17c that reach contour 16 are partially reflected. This reflection is due to the medium discontinuity encountered by the propagating RF signals at the interface between the refractory material 14 and the material inside the furnace chamber 15. Preferably, the antennas 17a, 17b, and 17c are positioned so that a transmission signal from the antennas 17a, 17b, and 17c impinges substantially perpendicular to contour 16 in an area where contour 16 is contiguous with the molten material inside the furnace chamber 15.More preferably, antennas 17a, 17b, and 17c are physically configured to reduce a plurality of reflections and probe vibration of a radio frequency signal transmitted or received by antennas 17a, 17b, and 17c, to a sufficient extent to allow detection of such radio frequency signal after being scattered from a remote discontinuity of the refractory material 14. More preferably, antennas 17a, 17b, and 17c are physically configured and positioned so that a transmission signal from antennas 17a, 17b, and 17c minimally reaches the outer steel enclosure of the container 12 to minimize any effects of signals received by the transceiver 18 after being reflected by the outer steel enclosure of the container 12.

[0033] Typically chamber 15 contains steel or air (when the Petition 870260047389, dated 05 / 19 / 2026, page 38 / 117 15 / 31 chamber 15 is empty). The RF signals reflected from contour 16 are received by antennas 17a, 17b, and 17c and sent to transceiver 18 for further treatment, storage, and processing. Transceiver 18 measures the amplitude and phase of the received signals over one or more frequency bands in the range of 0.5 GHz to 70 GHz. Furthermore, when processing these signals using one or more frequency and / or time domain signal processing methods, the device 10 is able to determine the shape of contour 16 and a corresponding thickness of refractory material 14 along different points of contour 16. In addition, the device 10 is able to determine the level and rate of penetration of the molten material within chamber 15 into the refractory material 14.

[0034] Alternatively, antennas 17a, 17b, 17c could be attached to the refractory material 14 of the container 12 instead of being embedded in the refractory material 14. In either case, each of the antennas 17a, 17b, 17c is in physical contact with the refractory material 14, and preferably comprises a pyramidal horn antenna having a rectangular cross-section, further comprising a first enlarged plate having a flat section and two enlarged sections along opposite lateral edges of such flat section of the first enlarged plate, and a second enlarged plate positioned opposite the first enlarged plate, wherein such second enlarged plate comprises a flat section and two enlarged sections along opposite lateral edges of such flat section of such second enlarged plate.Specifically, the thickness of at least one of such first enlarged plate and second enlarged plate could be variable, and preferably a thickness-to-length ratio of at least one of such first enlarged plate and second enlarged plate is within the range of 15% to 85%. In this configuration, more preferably, each of the antennas 17a, 17b, and 17c still comprises one material. Petition 870260047389, dated 05 / 19 / 2026, p. 39 / 117 16 / 31 dielectric material disposed in at least a portion of a volumetric region between the first enlarged plate and the second enlarged plate, which extends beyond the two enlarged sections along the opposite lateral edges of the first enlarged plate and the second enlarged plate. More preferably, the dielectric material has a dielectric permittivity that coincides with the dielectric permittivity of the refractory material 14 to smooth the discontinuity of the medium between such dielectric material and the refractory material 14. Alternatively, the refractory material itself is used as the dielectric material.

[0035] Those skilled in the art will realize that different types of antennas other than a horn antenna and / or having or not having smooth and rolled edges can be used in the apparatus 10. More specifically, horn antennas having four enlarged plates; non-pyramidal horn antennas, such as conical or similar; or horn antennas with a non-rectangular cross-section, such as elliptical, can be used. Similarly, those skilled in the art will realize that the apparatus 10 can also comprise various arrangements of RF components, such as filters, impedance matching networks, amplifiers, non-coherent detectors and other test instrumentation used in different ways to implement the measurement of transmitted and reflected RF signals and perform the functions of the transceiver 18 and the computer-based processor as known in the prior art.Furthermore, those skilled in the art will realize that cables 19a, 19b, and 19c can be replaced by a wireless system to couple antennas 17a, 17b, and 17c to transceiver 18.

[0036] Specifically, Figure 1A shows a side view of a cross-section of furnace 12, featuring apparatus 10, in which antennas 17a, 17b, 17c are embedded in the refractory material 14 that forms part of a single wall of furnace 12. Similarly, Figure Petition 870260047389, dated 05 / 19 / 2026, p. 40 / 117 17 / 31 Figure 1B shows a bottom view of a cross-section of furnace 12, featuring apparatus 10, in which antennas 17a, 17b, and 17c are embedded in refractory material 14 that forms part of a single furnace wall 12. More specifically, antennas 17a, 17b, and 17c are positioned on refractory material 14 in an arrangement that increases the potential contour evaluation area 16 at the interface between refractory material 14 and chamber 15.

[0037] With reference to Figure 1C, a side view of a cross-section of furnace 12 is shown, presenting apparatus 10, in which antennas 17a, 17b, 17c are embedded in the refractory material 14 which forms part of a single wall of furnace 12 and antennas 17d, 17e, and 17f are embedded in the refractory material 14 which also forms part of a single wall of furnace 12, so that antennas 17d, 17e, 17f are opposite to 17a, 17b, 17c. In this configuration, apparatus 10 further comprises a second transceiver 13 capable of transmitting and receiving RF signals and a set of cables 19d, 19e, and 19f for coupling transceiver 13 to antennas 17d, 17e, and 17f, respectively. The device 10 further comprises a second data storage device and a second computer-based processor, both of which can be integrated with the transceiver 13. Furthermore, at least partially, the transceiver 13 can be integrated with one or more antennas 17d, 17e, and 17f.It is noted that the components of transceiver 13, namely the storage device and the computer-based processor, have not been shown, as these components are not critical to the explanation of this embodiment. Those skilled in the art will realize that antennas 17d, 17e, 17f can be connected via cables 19d, 19e, 19f to transceiver 18, so that a single transceiver is used for all six antennas 17a to 17f.

[0038] Preferably, antennas 17a, 17b, 17c and antennas 17d Petition 870260047389, dated 05 / 19 / 2026, p. 41 / 117 18 / 31 Antennas 17e and 17f face each other, respectively. More preferably, an RF signal transmitted by antennas 17a, 17b, and 17c is received by at least one of antennas 17d, 17e, and 17f. More preferably, an evaluation of the status of refractory material 14 using this specific configuration, with reference to Figure 1C, is performed while chamber 15 of furnace 12 is at least partially empty, so that a signal transmitted through chamber 15 is less attenuated compared to the case where chamber 15 is not empty. This specific configuration can provide additional information about the signal transmitted from one or more antennas 17a, 17b, and 17c to one or more antennas 17d, 17e, and 17f, as it passes through contour 16 in at least two different areas.A first contour area 16 at the interface between the refractory material 14 and the chamber 15 is closer to one or more of the transmitting antennas 17a, 17b, 17c, and a second contour area 16 at the interface between the refractory material 14 and the chamber 15 is closer to one or more of the receiving antennas 17d, 17e, 17f. Those skilled in the art will realize that each of the antennas 17a to 17f can be used as either a transmitting or receiving antenna. The key problem is having at least one of the transmitting antennas facing at least one of the receiving antennas.

[0039] Figures 2A to 2C show various aspects of an apparatus used to evaluate the status of a cylindrical furnace 22 according to additional aspects of an embodiment. More specifically, the apparatus 20 evaluates the status of the refractory material 24, which typically at least partially surrounds a chamber 25 of the furnace 22. In other words, the refractory material 24 is arranged in one or more layers between the chamber 25, where the melting of a material, such as steel, takes place, and the bottom and side walls of the ladle 22. Typically, the various layers of refractory material 24 are formed Petition 870260047389, dated 05 / 19 / 2026, p. 42 / 117 19 / 31 using bricks arranged side by side from the bottom to the top of the pan 22. Consequently, the refractory material 24 forms one or more walls surrounding the chamber 25 of the pan 22.

[0040] In this specific configuration, the apparatus 20 comprises one or more antennas forming an antenna array 27, which is positioned inside the chamber 25 while the pan 22 is not in operation and is totally or partially empty. Preferably, the antenna array 27 is positioned so that a transmission signal from the antenna array 27 propagates inside the chamber 25 to reach most of a contour 26, which defines an interface between the refractory material 24 and the chamber 25. More preferably, the antenna array 27 is positioned so that a transmission signal from the antenna array 27 impinges substantially perpendicular to the contour 26. Most preferably, the antenna array 27 is mounted on a mechanical structure 28 that can support and adjust the positioning of the antenna array 27 inside the chamber 25 either during furnace operation or while the furnace is not operating.

[0041] Furthermore, the apparatus 20 may also comprise a controller, mountable on the structure 28, which can be programmed to automatically position the antenna array 27 by means of one or more motorized mechanisms. In a preferred configuration, the structure 28 may be rotated along a geometric axis substantially parallel to the contour area 36 under evaluation or configured in various positions so that the antenna array 27 is able to receive the RF signals reflected from the entire area defined by the contour 26. In addition, the apparatus 20 may also comprise software used to automatically control the positioning of the structure 28 to perform the corresponding evaluation of a material status, record and store the measured data, or guide step-by-step at least part of the evaluation process. Petition 870260047389, dated 05 / 19 / 2026, page 43 / 117 20 / 31

[0042] Apparatus 20 further comprises a transceiver capable of transmitting and receiving RF signals and a set of cables for coupling the antenna array 27 to said transceiver. Apparatus 20 further comprises a data storage device and a computer-based processor, both of which may be integrated with said transceiver. Moreover, at least partially, said transceiver may be integrated with the antenna array 27. It is noted that the transceiver, storage device, computer-based processor, controller, and motors have not been shown as these components are not critical to the explanation of this embodiment. Moreover, if applicable, the structure 28 may provide a support mechanism for routing cables or mounting the transceiver, storage device, computer-based processor, controller, motors, and sensors such as a laser, a LIDAR, or an ultrasound sensor.

[0043] During an evaluation of the status of refractory material 24 and more specifically, the status of the contour 26 of refractory material 24, the RF signals transmitted by the antenna array 27 that reach the contour 26 are partially reflected. This reflection is due to the discontinuity of the medium encountered by the propagating RF signals at the interface between the chamber 25 and the refractory material 24. The RF signals reflected at the contour 26 are received by the antenna array 27 and sent to the transceiver for further treatment, storage, and processing, as described above for the case of apparatus 10, with reference to Figures 1A to 1C.

[0044] Alternatively, the antenna array 27 could be attached to the refractory material 24 of the pan 22, instead of being mounted on the structure 28. In either case, each of the antennas of the antenna array 27 preferably comprises a pyramidal horn antenna, as described above for the case of apparatus 10, with reference to Figures 1A to 1C. Petition 870260047389, dated 05 / 19 / 2026, page 44 / 117 21 / 31 Those skilled in the art will realize that different types of antennas other than a horn antenna and / or having or not having smooth, rolled edges can be used in apparatus 20. More specifically, horn antennas having four enlarged plates; non-pyramidal horn antennas, such as conical or similar; or horn antennas with a non-rectangular cross-section, such as elliptical, can be used. Similarly, those skilled in the art will realize that apparatus 20 can also comprise various arrangements of RF components, such as filters, impedance matching networks, amplifiers, non-coherent detectors, and other test instrumentation used in different ways to enable the measurement of transmitted and reflected RF signals and to perform the functions of the transceiver and computer-based processor as known in the prior art.

[0045] Specifically, Figure 2A shows a side view of a cross-section of pan 22, showing the apparatus 20, in which the antenna array 27 is mounted on the frame 28 and positioned substantially in the center of chamber 25, so that the RF signals transmitted by the antenna array 27 impinge substantially perpendicular to the contour area 26 located on the side walls of chamber 25 of pan 22. Similarly, Figure 2B shows a side view of a cross-section of pan 22, showing the apparatus 20, in which the antenna array 27 is mounted on the frame 28 and positioned substantially in the center of chamber 25, so that the RF signals transmitted by the antenna array 27 impinge substantially perpendicular to the contour area 26 located at the bottom of chamber 25 of pan 22.

[0046] With reference to Figure 2C, a side view of a cross-section of pan 22 is shown, featuring the apparatus 20, in which a first array of antennas 27 and a second array of Petition 870260047389, dated 05 / 19 / 2026, page 45 / 117 22 / 31 antennas 29 are mounted on the frame 28 and positioned substantially in the center of chamber 25, so that the RF signals transmitted by the antenna array 27 impinge substantially perpendicular to the contour area 26 located on the side walls of chamber 25 of pan 22. In this configuration, the apparatus 20 may not need to be rotated or be subject to less rotation than the antenna arrays 27, 29 are able to transmit an RF signal over a larger area of ​​the contour 26 compared to the case in which only the antenna array 27 is used, in reference to Figure 2A.

[0047] Figures 3A to 3C show various aspects of an apparatus used to evaluate the status of a cylindrical ladle 32 according to still other aspects of an embodiment. More specifically, the apparatus 30 evaluates the status of the refractory material 34, which typically at least partially surrounds a chamber 35 of the ladle 32. In other words, the refractory material 34 is arranged in one or more layers between the chamber 35, where the melting of a material, such as steel, takes place, and the bottom and side walls of the ladle 32. Typically, the various layers of refractory material 34 are formed using bricks arranged side by side from the bottom to the top of the ladle 32. Consequently, the refractory material 34 forms one or more walls that surround the chamber 35 of the ladle 32.

[0048] In this specific configuration, the apparatus 30 comprises one or more slot antennas forming a slot antenna array 37 along a waveguide 38 within which RF signals propagate. The slot antenna array 37 and the waveguide 38 are positioned within the chamber 35, while the pan 32 is not in operation and is fully or partially empty. Preferably, the slot antenna array 37 is positioned so that a transmission signal from the slot antenna array 37 propagates within the chamber 25 to reach most of a contour 36, which defines Petition 870260047389, dated 05 / 19 / 2026, page 46 / 117 23 / 31 an interface between the refractory material 34 and the chamber 35. More preferably, the slot antenna array 37 is positioned so that a transmission signal from the slot antenna array 37 impinges substantially perpendicular to all areas of the contour 36. More preferably, the waveguide 38 is part of a mechanical structure that can support and adjust the positioning of the slot antenna array 37 within the chamber 35 either during furnace operation or while the furnace is not operating.

[0049] Furthermore, the apparatus 30 may also comprise a controller, attachable to the waveguide 38, which may be programmed to automatically position the slot antenna array 37 by means of one or more motorized mechanisms. In a preferred configuration, the waveguide 38 may be rotated along a geometric axis substantially parallel to the contour area 36 under evaluation or configured in various positions so that the slot antenna array 37 is able to receive RF signals reflected from the entire area defined by the contour 36. Preferably, the waveguide 38 is an open-ended waveguide in order to further transmit RF signals substantially perpendicular to the contour area 36 located at the bottom of the pan chamber 35 32.Furthermore, the device 20 may also include software used to automatically control the positioning of the structure 28 to perform the corresponding assessment of a material's status, record and store the measured data, or guide step-by-step at least part of the assessment process.

[0050] Apparatus 30 further comprises a transceiver capable of transmitting and receiving RF signals and a set of cables and / or adapters for coupling the waveguide 38 to said transceiver. Apparatus 30 further comprises a data storage device and a computer-based processor, both of which Petition 870260047389, dated 05 / 19 / 2026, p. 47 / 117 24 / 31 can be integrated with such a transceiver. Furthermore, at least partially, such a transceiver can be integrated with waveguide 38. It is noted that the transceiver, storage device, computer-based processor, controller, and motors were not shown, as these components are not critical to the explanation of this embodiment. Furthermore, if applicable, waveguide 38 can provide a support mechanism for routing cables or mounting the transceiver, storage device, computer-based processor, controller, motors, and sensors such as a laser, a LIDAR, or an ultrasound sensor.

[0051] During an assessment of the status of refractory material 34, and more specifically, a contour status 36 of the refractory material 34, the RF signals transmitted by the slit antenna array 37 that reach the contour 36 are partially reflected. This reflection is due to the medium discontinuity encountered by the propagating RF signals at the interface between the chamber 35 and the refractory material 34. The RF signals reflected at the contour 36 are received by the slit antenna array 37 and sent through the waveguide 38 to the transceiver for further treatment, storage, and processing, as described above for the case of apparatus 10, with reference to Figures 1A to 1C.

[0052] Alternatively, the waveguide 38 can be attached to the refractory material 34 of the pan 32. In either case, each of the antennas in the slot antenna array 37 preferably comprises an opening on the side of the waveguide 38 sized to transmit and receive an RF signal, as is well known in the prior art. Those skilled in the art will realize that different types of slot antennas, in terms of size and shapes, can be used in the apparatus 30. Similarly, those skilled in the art will realize that the apparatus 30 can still comprise several Petition 870260047389, dated 05 / 19 / 2026, p. 48 / 117 25 / 31 arrangements of RF components, such as filters, impedance matching networks, amplifiers, non-coherent detectors and other instrumentation used in different modes to enable the measurement of transmitted and reflected RF signals and to perform the functions of the transceiver and computer-based processor as known in the prior art.

[0053] Specifically, Figure 3A shows a side view of a cross-section of pan 32, featuring the apparatus 30, in which the slot antenna array 37 is mounted on the waveguide 38, which is positioned substantially in the center of chamber 35, so that the RF signals transmitted by the slot antenna array 37 impinge substantially perpendicular to the contour area 36 located on the side walls of chamber 35 of pan 32. Preferably, the waveguide 38 is an open-ended waveguide in order to be able to transmit the RF signals substantially perpendicular to the contour area 36 located at the bottom of chamber 35 of pan 32.

[0054] Similarly, Figure 3B shows a side view of a cross-section of pan 32, featuring apparatus 30, in which the slot antenna array 37 is mounted on the waveguide 38 and positioned substantially in the center of chamber 35, so that the RF signals transmitted by the slot antenna array 37 impinge substantially perpendicular to the contour area 36 located on the side walls of chamber 35 of pan 32. In this specific configuration, the waveguide 38 is used as a feed mechanism for an antenna 39 located at the end of the waveguide 38. The antenna 39 provides additional gain for the RF signals transmitted and reflected by the antenna 39. Furthermore, the antenna 39 can transmit the RF signals, which are substantially perpendicular to the contour area 36 located at the bottom of the chamber. Petition 870260047389, dated 05 / 19 / 2026, p. 49 / 117 26 / 31 of pan 32. Preferably antenna 39 comprises a pyramidal horn antenna, as described above for the case of apparatus 10, with reference to Figures 1A to 1C. Those skilled in the art will realize that different types of antennas other than a horn antenna and / or not having smooth, rolled edges can be used in apparatus 30. More specifically, horn antennas having four enlarged plates; non-pyramidal horn antennas, such as conical or similar; or horn antennas with a non-rectangular cross-section, such as elliptical, can be used.

[0055] With reference to Figure 3C, a side view of a cross-section of pan 32 is shown, presenting the apparatus 30, in which a first slot antenna array 37a, a second slot antenna array 37b, and a third slot antenna array 37c are mounted on waveguides 38a, 38b, and 38c, respectively. Waveguides 38a, 38b, and 38c are positioned substantially in the center of chamber 35, so that the RF signals transmitted by the slot antenna arrays 37a, 37b, 37c impinge substantially perpendicular to the contour area 36 located on the side walls of chamber 35 of pan 32. Preferably, at least one of the waveguides 38a, 38b, 38c is an open-ended waveguide in order to be able to transmit RF signals substantially perpendicular to the contour area 36 located at the bottom of chamber 35 of pan 32. More preferably, at least one of the waveguides 38a, 38b, 38c is terminated in an antenna.

[0056] Each of the antennas in the various embodiments presented above can operate in an elliptical polarization, including a generally linear polarization or a generally circular polarization. Furthermore, one or more antennas can operate in a transmit-only mode and one or more different antennas can operate in a receive-only mode, so that the system operates in a Petition 870260047389, dated 05 / 19 / 2026, page 50 / 117 27 / 31 bistatic or multistatic configuration. Alternatively, multiple antennas can operate in transmit-only, receive-only, or transmit-and-receive modes, so that the system operates in a multiple-input, multiple-output (MIMO) configuration. Furthermore, the transmission of the corresponding signals from these antennas can be conducted simultaneously or at different times and can utilize an electronic scanning mechanism. In addition, each of these antennas may include one or more materials that have variable conductivity, an RF-absorbing material, a metamaterial, a ferromagnetic material, or any combination thereof configured to improve the performance of at least one antenna or to reduce the electromagnetic coupling between at least one antenna and another antenna or a component of the structure that supports at least one antenna or forms part of or is inside the furnace.

[0057] Similarly, one or more frequency and / or time domain signal processing methods can be used to determine the surface topology of the inner walls and / or bottom of the refractory material within the chamber furnace. Specifically, two-dimensional and three-dimensional images of the evaluation results at a material status can be generated using one or more signal processing techniques, including backprojection, delay and summation, synthetic aperture radar imaging, backpropagation, inverse scattering and super-resolution, with or without the application of differential images of the collected data.Furthermore, the application of signal processing techniques can be used to calculate a figure of merit for any of the antennas described above, including, but not limited to, electromagnetic fields, currents, electromagnetic radiation gain, input impedance, and polarization, to support or guide the measurement setup and data collection process. Petition 870260047389, dated 05 / 19 / 2026, page 51 / 117 28 / 31

[0058] The configurations described above are presented here in an illustrative manner, and it should be understood that the terminology used is intended to be descriptive rather than limiting. Any configuration described herein may include one or more aspects of the other configurations. The exemplary embodiments presented herein are described to explain some of the principles of the present invention so that others skilled in the art may practice the invention. METHOD

[0059] A method for evaluating the status of a material according to additional aspects of an embodiment of the invention will now be described. The method is operative for measuring at least one RF signal using a transceiver and at least one antenna appropriately positioned to transmit and / or receive such RF signal impinging on and / or reflecting off a predefined area of ​​a material to be evaluated, according to the following:

[0060] 1. In step 110, position at least one antenna capable of transmitting and receiving RF signals, over a frequency band, to and from an area surrounding the antenna, so that these signals impinge on and reflect from a predefined area of ​​interest of a material to be evaluated. Specifically, for a furnace or ladle, at least one antenna is preferably positioned or attached to the inner wall of, or permanently embedded in, the refractory material surrounding the furnace or ladle chamber, so that RF signals are transmitted into such area of ​​interest from the inner walls and / or the bottom of the chamber. Alternatively, at least one antenna may be installed in a structure which can be inserted into the chamber of such ladle or furnace. Preferably, a plurality of antennas is appropriately positioned to perform a more accurate and efficient evaluation of a larger portion. Petition 870260047389, dated 05 / 19 / 2026, page 52 / 117 29 / 31 of the predefined area of ​​interest of the material to be evaluated.

[0061] 2. In step 120, transmit at least one RF signal, using a transmitter and at least one antenna, as described in step 110, so that at least one RF signal impinges on the area of ​​interest of the material under evaluation. Specifically, for a pan, at least one RF signal must be transmitted into the inner walls and / or bottom of the pan chamber. Preferably, multiple RF signals are transmitted using a plurality of antennas.

[0062] 3. In step 130, receive at least one RF signal using a receiver and at least one antenna, as described in step 110, after at least one transmitted RF signal has impinged on the area of ​​interest of the material under evaluation. Alternatively, at least one RF signal was transmitted by a first antenna and received by a second antenna. Specifically, for a pan, at least one RF signal must have impeded on the inner walls and / or the bottom of the pan chamber. Preferably, multiple RF signals are received using a plurality of antennas.

[0063] 4. In step 140, measure the amplitude and phase of at least one received RF signal after impinging on the area of ​​interest of the material under evaluation. This may correspond to measuring the dispersion parameters S11 and / or S22 of a received RF signal reflected from the area of ​​interest of the material under evaluation. Alternatively, this may correspond to measuring the dispersion parameters S12 and / or S21 involving an RF signal transmitted by a first antenna and received by a second antenna after impinging on the area of ​​interest of the material under evaluation.

[0064] 5. Next, in step 150, record the measured amplitude and phase of at least one RF signal received after impinging on the area of ​​interest of the material under evaluation (parameters of Petition 870260047389, dated 05 / 19 / 2026, page 53 / 117 30 / 31 dispersion S11, S22, S12, and / or S21), as described in step 140, in a storage device.

[0065] 6. Next, in step 160, if applicable, repeat steps 110 to 150 for a plurality of positions of at least one transmitting and receiving antenna, or alternatively at least one transmitting antenna and at least one receiving antenna, to complete the evaluation of the predefined area of ​​interest of the material under evaluation. Specifically, for a pan, the plurality of positions of at least one antenna allows the evaluation of the status of a material comprising the inner walls and / or the bottom of the pan chamber.

[0066] 7. Next, in step 170, if applicable, restore at least one antenna.

[0067] 8. Next, in step 180, transfer the collected data to a computer-based data processor.

[0068] 9. Next, in step 190, process the collected data using at least one signal processing method. Preferably, the signal processing method is selected according to a characteristic of the material under evaluation, such as thickness, number of layers, type, and dimensions of materials possibly related to the operating frequency band, type of antenna(s) used, specific locations of the antenna(s), or the type of material, such as molten material, being in contact with the material under evaluation.

[0069] 10. Finally, in step 200, determine a status of the material under evaluation, based on the results of the processed data.

[0070] Once the evaluation of a material is completed, including the processing of the collected data, a status of that material can be determined. The status of a material may include its thickness, erosion profile, level, or rate of degradation. Petition 870260047389, dated 05 / 19 / 2026, page 54 / 117 31 / 31 material due to various factors, including operational wear, age, and the presence of flaws, cracks, and erosion, and the level or rate of penetration of other material into the material under evaluation.

[0071] The method may also include a step to reduce the electromagnetic coupling between at least one antenna and another antenna or a component of the structure supporting at least one antenna or forming part of or being inside the furnace. Furthermore, those skilled in the art will recognize that the steps indicated above may be correspondingly adjusted for a specific evaluation of a material or a specific type of material under evaluation. Specifically, the type of data to be collected may differ in terms of measurements of parameters S12 or S21 and / or parameters S11 and S22, and more specifically, the technique used to process the collected data.

[0072] The present method and apparatus for evaluating the status of a material have been described herein in an illustrative manner, and it should be understood that the terminology employed is intended to be descriptive rather than limiting. Those skilled in the art will recognize that many modifications and variations of the invention are possible in light of the above teachings. Obviously, many modifications and variations of the invention are possible in light of the above teachings. The present invention may be practiced in a manner other than as specifically described within the scope of the appended claims and their legal equivalents. Petition 870260047389, dated 05 / 19 / 2026, page 55 / 117

Claims

1 / 10 CLAIMS 1. Apparatus (10) for assessing the status of a refractory material (14) forming part of a furnace, wherein said furnace contains a molten material other than said refractory material (14), characterized in that it comprises: a. at least one antenna (17) physically configured to reduce a plurality of reflections and probe vibration of a radio frequency signal transmitted or received by said at least one antenna (17), to a sufficient extent as to permit the detection of a scattered radio frequency signal after said transmitted radio frequency signal has been scattered from a remote discontinuity of said refractory material (14), wherein said at least one antenna (17) is physically configured and positioned to minimize the impact of said transmitted radio frequency signal on an external structure of said furnace,wherein said external structure at least partially encircles said refractory material (14) and hinders propagation of said radio frequency signal transmitted through said external structure, and wherein said at least one antenna (17) is embedded in a portion of said refractory material (14), disposed between said external structure and said molten material, and is adapted to permit reception of said scattered radio frequency signal from said remote discontinuity of said refractory material (14) within a period of time sufficient to distinguish between said scattered radio frequency signal and spurious signals reflected from other discontinuities, wherein said antenna (17) comprises a pyramidal horn antenna (17) having a rectangular cross-section and comprising a first enlarged plate having a flat section and two enlarged sections along opposite lateral edges of said flat section of said first enlarged plate,and a second enlarged plate positioned opposite said first enlarged plate, said Petition 870260047389, dated 19 / 05 / 2026, page 56 / 117 2 / 10 second enlarged plate comprising a flat section and two enlarged sections along opposite lateral edges of said flat section of said second enlarged plate, wherein a thickness of at least one of said first enlarged plate and said second enlarged plate is variable, and wherein a thickness-to-length ratio of at least one of said first enlarged plate and said second enlarged plate is within the range of 15% to 85%; b. a transceiver (18) capable of generating said radio frequency signal transmitted by said at least one antenna (17) and detecting said radio frequency signal received by said at least one antenna (17),wherein said transceiver (18) is electromagnetically coupled to said at least one antenna (17); c. a primary computer-based processor comprising a data storage device and executable computer code configured to permit measurement of the amplitude and phase of said scattered radio frequency signal, in one or more frequency bands in the range of 0.5 GHz to 70 GHz,received to produce either time-domain data or frequency-domain data that is transformed into time-domain data; calibrate said time-domain data to distance-domain data; identify a magnitude peak in said distance-domain profile associated with said remote discontinuity of said refractory material (14); and determine a distance traveled by said received dispersed radio frequency signal; and d. a connection channel that allows the coupling of said at least one antenna (17) with at least one of said transceiver (18) and said primary computer-based processor, wherein said connection channel comprises at least one element selected from a group consisting of a transmission line, a communication line, a control line, and a power line, and Petition 870260047389, dated 05 / 19 / 2026,p. 57 / 117 3 / 10 wherein said connection channel may be configured by means of at least one of a set of cables (19) and wireless, and wherein said state of said refractory material to be evaluated comprises a level and rate of penetration of said molten material into said refractory material., 2. Apparatus (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that at least a portion of a volumetric region between said first enlarged plate and said second enlarged plate comprises a dielectric material, which extends beyond said two enlarged sections along said opposite lateral edges of said flat section of at least one of said first enlarged plate and said second enlarged plate.

3. Apparatus (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one antenna (17) is designed and physically configured to operate embedded in and be inherently impedance matched with said refractory material (14).

4. Apparatus (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one antenna (17) is embedded in at least one fused portion of said refractory material (14).

5. Apparatus (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that at least part of at least one of said transceiver (18) and said primary computer-based processor is embedded in said refractory material (14).

6. Apparatus (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that said external structure at least partially surrounding said refractory material (14) comprises an element selected from a group consisting of an envelope made of conductive material that forms part of said furnace, a grid structure that provides additional mechanical support to said furnace, and a structure disposed close to said furnace.

7. Apparatus (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that said status of said refractory material (14) to be evaluated further comprises an element selected from a group consisting of a thickness of said refractory material (14), a flaw in said refractory material (14) and an erosion profile in said refractory material (14).

8. Apparatus (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one antenna (17) is positioned according to at least one element selected from a group consisting of an antenna radiation pattern (17) of said at least one antenna (17), an electromagnetic coupling effect and potential interference between said at least one antenna (17) and other elements surrounding said at least one antenna (17), a location of said external structure, and an area of ​​interest of said refractory material (14) under evaluation.

9. Apparatus (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a plurality of antennas (17a, 17b, 17c) arranged in a plurality of antenna sets, wherein each set of said plurality of antenna sets is controlled by a secondary computer-based processor, and wherein said secondary computer-based processor is controlled by said primary computer-based processor.

10. Apparatus (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that said primary computer-based processor is configured to allow the implementation of at least one signal processing technique selected from a group consisting of time domain and frequency domain for Petition 870260047389, dated 05 / 19 / 2026, page 59 / 117 5 / 10 processing said dataset to determine and visualize said status of said refractory material (14) and estimate a remaining operational life and a maintenance plan for said furnace.

11. Apparatus (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that said refractory material (14) and said external structure have a physical configuration to allow routing of said connection channel, and wherein said physical configuration includes grooves, holes, indentations, cuts, ducts and passages.

12. Apparatus (10) according to claim 1, characterized in that said connection channel comprises at least one cable (19) capable of withstanding high temperatures of at least 500°C.

13. Apparatus (30) for assessing the status of a refractory material (34) forming part of a furnace, while said furnace is not in operation and is totally or partially empty, characterized in that it comprises: a. at least one antenna (37) physically configured to reduce a plurality of reflections and probe vibration of a radio frequency signal transmitted or received by said at least one antenna, to a sufficient extent to allow the detection of a scattered radio frequency signal after said transmitted radio frequency signal has been scattered from a remote discontinuity of said refractory material (14), wherein said at least one antenna is physically configured and positioned to minimize the impact of said transmitted radio frequency signal on an external structure of said furnace,wherein said external structure at least partially surrounds said refractory material (34) and hinders the propagation of said radio frequency signal transmitted through said external structure, wherein said at least one antenna is positioned within a chamber (35) of said furnace where a molten material is processed and said at least one antenna is adapted to allow the reception of said scattered radio frequency signal from said remote discontinuity of said refractory material (34) within a period of time sufficient to distinguish between said scattered radio frequency signal and spurious signals reflected from other discontinuities, and wherein said at least one antenna is positioned in a position selected from a group consisting substantially in the center of said chamber (35), offset from said center of said chamber (35),and contiguous to an inner wall of said refractory material (14) b. a transceiver (18) capable of generating said radio frequency signal transmitted by said at least one antenna and detecting said radio frequency signal received by said at least one antenna, wherein said transceiver (18) is electromagnetically coupled to said at least one antenna, wherein said antenna comprises a device selected from a group consisting of a waveguide (38) and a pyramidal horn antenna (39) having a rectangular cross-section and comprising a first enlarged plate having a flat section and two enlarged sections along opposite lateral edges of said flat section of said first enlarged plate, and a second enlarged plate positioned opposite said first enlarged plate, said second enlarged plate comprising a flat section and two enlarged sections along opposite lateral edges of said flat section of said second enlarged plate,wherein the thickness of at least one of said first enlarged plate and said second enlarged plate is variable, and wherein the thickness-to-length ratio of at least one of said first enlarged plate and said second enlarged plate is within the range of 15% to 85%, and wherein said at least one antenna transmits said radiofrequency signal substantially perpendicular to the bottom of said chamber (35); c. a primary computer-based processor comprising a data storage device and executable computer code configured to permit measurement of the amplitude and phase of said scattered radiofrequency signal, in one or more frequency bands in the range of 0.5 GHz to 70 GHz,received to produce either time-domain data or frequency-domain data that is transformed into time-domain data; calibrate said time-domain data into distance-domain data; identify a magnitude peak in said distance-domain profile associated with said remote discontinuity of said refractory material (14); and determine a distance traveled by said received dispersed radio frequency signal; and d. a connection channel that allows the coupling of said at least one antenna with at least one of said transceiver (18) and said primary computer-based processor, wherein said connection channel comprises at least one element selected from a group consisting of a transmission line, a communication line, a control line, and a power line, and wherein said connection channel can be configured by means of at least one of a set of wired and wireless,and wherein the aforementioned state of the refractory material to be evaluated comprises a level and rate of penetration of the molten material into the refractory material.

14. Apparatus (10) according to claim 13, characterized in that said external structure at least partially surrounding said refractory material (14) comprises an element selected from a group consisting of an enclosure made of conductive material that forms part of said furnace, a grid structure that provides additional mechanical support for said furnace, and a Petition 870260047389, dated 19 / 05 / 2026, page 62 / 117 8 / 10 structure disposed close to said furnace.

15. Method for evaluating the status of a refractory material (14) forming part of a furnace (12), characterized in that it comprises: a. providing at least one antenna (17) physically configured to reduce a plurality of reflections and probe vibration of a transmitted or received radio frequency signal, in one or more frequency bands in the range of 0.5 GHz to 70 GHz, by said at least one antenna, to a sufficient extent to allow the detection of a scattered radio frequency signal after said transmitted radio frequency signal has been scattered from a remote discontinuity of said refractory material (14), wherein said at least one antenna is physically configured and positioned to minimize the impact of said transmitted radio frequency signal on an external structure of said furnace, wherein said external structure at least partially enclosesthe aforementioned refractory material and prevents the propagation of the aforementioned radio frequency signal transmitted through the aforementioned external structure, wherein said external structure at least partially surrounds said refractory material (14) and hinders the propagation of said radio frequency signal transmitted through said external structure and wherein said at least one antenna is embedded in a portion of said refractory material (14) disposed between said external structure and said molten material and adapted to allow the reception of said scattered radio frequency signal from said remote discontinuity of said refractory material (14) within a period of time sufficient to distinguish between said scattered radio frequency signal and spurious signals reflected from other discontinuities; b. position said at least one antenna so that said transmitted radio frequency signal impinges on an area of ​​Petition 870260047389, dated 19 / 05 / 2026,pg. 63 / 117 9 / 10 predefined interest of said refractory material (14) under evaluation and said received scattered radio frequency signal disperses from said predefined area of ​​interest of said refractory material (14) under evaluation, according to at least one element selected from a group consisting of an antenna radiation pattern of said at least one antenna, an electromagnetic coupling effect and potential interference between said at least one antenna and other elements surrounding said at least one antenna, a location of said external structure, and said area of ​​interest of said refractory material (14) under evaluation; c. transmit at least one radio frequency signal, using a transmitter and said at least one antenna, such that said at least one transmitted radio frequency signal impinges with said area of ​​interest of said refractory material (14) under evaluation; d. detect at least one radio frequency signal,using a receiver and said at least one antenna, after said at least one transmitted radio frequency signal has impinged on said area of ​​interest and has dispersed from said remote discontinuity of said refractory material (14) under evaluation; and e. determine said status of said refractory material (14) based on a determined distance traveled by said radio frequency signal detected dispersed from said remote discontinuity of said refractory material (14) under evaluation.

16. Method according to claim 15, characterized in that it further comprises: a. measuring and recording a set of data pertaining to said at least one detected radio frequency signal to produce recorded data; b. transforming said recorded data, if applicable, into time domain data; Petition 870260047389, dated 05 / 19 / 2026, page 64 / 117 10 / 10 c. calibrating said time domain data to distance domain data; d. identifying a peak in said distance domain data associated with said scattered detected radio frequency signal from said remote discontinuity of said refractory material (14) under evaluation; e. determining a distance traveled by said scattered detected radio frequency signal from said remote discontinuity of said refractory material (14) under evaluation; and f.to determine the said status of said material based on a determined distance traveled by said radio frequency signal detected scattered from said remote discontinuity and at least one signal processing method, selected according to a characteristic of said refractory material (14), a characteristic and said positioning of said at least one antenna, and a type of molten material being in contact with said refractory material (14) under evaluation.

17. Method according to claim 15, characterized in that said at least one antenna (17) is embedded in at least one cast part of said refractory material (14).

18. Method according to claim 15, characterized in that said external structure at least partially surrounding said refractory material (14) comprises an element selected from a group consisting of an envelope made of conductive material that forms part of said furnace, a grid structure that provides additional mechanical support to said furnace, and a structure disposed near said furnace. Petition 870260047389, dated 05 / 19 / 2026, p. 65 / 117

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