System for tracking and evaluating the condition of refractory elements in metallurgical facilities

Abstract

A system for tracking and evaluating the condition of refractory elements in metallurgical facilities, comprising: a) a plurality of identifiable metallurgical vessels (1), such as ladles, wherein each of the identifiable metallurgical vessels includes a removable refractory element (1p), such as a slide gate plate; b) a plurality of spare refractory elements (1r), wherein each spare refractory element includes a machine-readable identification tag (1t), and the machine-readable identification tag includes refractory element identification data; c) a reading station (2), such as an RFID workbench, for reading the machine-readable identification tag (1t) of a spare refractory element (1d) located within a reading area (21) of the reading station (2); d) a refractory element condition tool (3) for evaluating the condition of refractory elements coupled to any of the metallurgical vessels (1); e) a monitoring unit (4) that can be connected to the reading station (2) and the refractory element condition tool (3).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a system for tracking and evaluating the condition of replaceable refractory elements, such as slide gate plates, in metallurgical facilities, including metallurgical vessels such as ladles. Background Art

[0002] In metallurgical facilities, many refractory elements operate under harsh conditions and wear over time, so they must be replaced frequently. An example of such a refractory element that needs to be replaced frequently is a slide gate plate.

[0003] Slide gates are well known in the art. A slide gate is used to control the flow rate of molten metal poured from an upstream metallurgical vessel to a downstream vessel. For example, from a furnace to a ladle, from a ladle to a tundish, or from a tundish to an ingot mold. For example, US-A-0311902 or US-A-0506328 disclose a slide gate arranged at the bottom of a casting ladle, in which a pair of refractory slide gate plates provided with through holes slide relative to each other. When the pouring orifices are aligned or partially overlapped, molten metal can flow through the slide gate ("casting channel" open), and when there is no overlap between the pouring orifices, the flow of molten metal stops completely ("casting channel" closed). Partial overlap of the pouring orifices allows the flow rate of molten metal to be adjusted by throttling the molten metal flow. Although slide gates have been considerably improved in the past few decades, the principle remains the same, i.e., one plate slides relative to another to control the overlap level between the through holes of the two plates.

[0004] JP 2008221271 discloses a device for evaluating the wear state of a slide gate plate in a metallurgical vessel. Such a device allows inspection for signs of excessive wear in the slide gate plate, thus providing an indication to the operator as to whether the slide gate must be refurbished by replacing its slide gate plate. However, the device of this prior art cannot track the slide gate plate once it has been placed in the metallurgical vessel. Although such a slide gate plate can have a label carrying an identification number, once molten metal is poured into the metallurgical vessel, this label will be damaged or become almost unreadable. Therefore, the device of this prior art allows a timely decision to be made as to whether a set of slide gate plates must be replaced, but cannot collect and store historical wear data for each slide gate plate and, for example, correlate these historical data with the manufacturing characteristics of the slide gate plate, typically with the batch number or identification number of the slide gate plate. To increase the understanding of the influence of the production process of refractory elements on their service performance, a system is desired that allows the historical condition data of refractory elements to be correlated with their manufacturing characteristics and metal production parameters (related to the use of the refractory elements in the metal casting process).

[0005] Document WO 2005 / 007325 discloses different methods for objectively determining whether the refractory plates of a sliding gate valve can be reused or should be disposed of, for example, by comparing the theoretical and actual throttling rates of the orifice of the sliding gate valve. However, the described methods are difficult to implement because they require measuring several parameters during the metal casting process, such as the instantaneous flow rate of molten metal through the sliding gate valve, in order to infer the actual throttling rate of the orifice of the sliding gate valve. The method also requires calculating the theoretical instantaneous flow rate of molten metal according to physical laws, and thus requires an accurate physical model of the mechanical interaction between the metallurgical vessel, the sliding gate valve, and the molten metal. Due to the imperfect physical measurements during the metal casting process and the approximation of the model used to calculate the theoretical molten metal flow rate through the sliding gate valve, the methods described in this prior art document are both difficult to implement and have limited accuracy. In addition, no method or system for automating the collection of condition data for different plate groups and storing the condition data in a computer memory is disclosed.

[0006] Document WO 2010 / 057656 discloses a monitoring system and method for actively tracking specific data of a system or component of a metallurgical system. The method uses RFID tags that are fixed to various components or systems of the metallurgical facility and thus is not applicable to refractory elements such as sliding gate valve plates, which are subject to thermal stress, mechanical stress, and chemical stress caused by molten metal. RFID tags placed on the sliding gate valve plates do not withstand metal casting operations and thus cannot be used to track sliding gate valve plates in use. In addition, this document does not disclose any system or method for actually evaluating the condition of refractory elements such as sliding gate valve plates. Summary of the Invention

[0007] An object of the present invention is to provide a system for tracking and evaluating the condition of replaceable refractory elements in a metallurgical facility in order to gain insight into the historical wear data of the refractory elements, which is associated with the manufacturing characteristics and metal production parameters of the refractory elements and is related to the use of the refractory elements during the metal casting process.

[0008] Specifically, the present invention relates to a system for tracking and evaluating the condition of replaceable refractory elements in a metallurgical facility, the system comprising:

[0009] a) a plurality of identifiable metallurgical vessels, such as ladles, each of the identifiable metallurgical vessels including a removable refractory element, such as a sliding gate valve plate;

[0010] b) a plurality of spare refractory elements, each spare refractory element including a machine-readable identification tag, the machine-readable identification tag including refractory element identification data;

[0011] c) A reading station, such as an RFID workbench, for reading the machine-readable identification tag of a spare refractory element positioned within the reading area of the reading station;

[0012] d) A refractory element condition tool for evaluating the condition of a refractory element coupled to any one of the metallurgical vessels;

[0013] e) A monitoring unit connectable to the reading station and the refractory element condition tool, wherein the monitoring unit is configured to:

[0014] i. Receive condition data of at least one refractory element coupled to one of the metallurgical vessels from the refractory element condition tool;

[0015] ii. Receive identification data of the metallurgical vessel;

[0016] iii. Store the condition data in association with the identification data of the metallurgical vessel in a refractory condition database;

[0017] iv. Decide, based on the condition data ("pass or fail"), whether the refractory element must be replaced, and in the case where the refractory element must be replaced ("fail"), the monitoring unit is configured to:

[0018] a. Determine that the refractory element identification data received from the reading station corresponds to the identification data of a spare refractory element for replacing the at least one refractory element;

[0019] b. Associate the refractory element identification data with the identification data of the metallurgical vessel (1) in the refractory condition database.

[0020] In an advantageous embodiment, the monitoring unit includes a human-machine interface or HMI, and the HMI is configured to notify an operator whether the refractory element must be replaced.

[0021] In an advantageous embodiment, when a refractory element must be replaced, the HMI is configured to request the operator to confirm that the refractory element identification data received by the reading station corresponds to the identification data of a spare refractory element for replacing the at least one refractory element.

[0022] In an advantageous embodiment, each metallurgical vessel includes a machine-readable tag, and the monitoring unit is configured to read such a machine-readable tag when the metallurgical vessel is within the detection area of the monitoring unit.

[0023] In an advantageous embodiment,

[0024] i. The monitoring unit is configured to, by default, associate in the refractory condition database the refractory element identification data of a spare refractory element placed in the reading area of the reading station with the identification data of the metallurgical vessel located in the detection area of the monitoring unit;

[0025] ii. The HMI is configured such that the operator can modify the default association.

[0026] In an advantageous embodiment, the monitoring unit operates a robotic system that is configured to perform at least some of the following manipulations: manipulating a spare refractory element, placing the spare refractory element in the reading area of the reading station, removing a used refractory element from the metallurgical vessel, coupling the spare refractory element to the metallurgical vessel, coupling and decoupling the refractory element condition tool to and from the metallurgical vessel.

[0027] In an advantageous embodiment, the reading station is an RFID workbench and the spare refractory element includes an RFID tag.

[0028] In an advantageous embodiment, the identification data of the metallurgical vessel is included on a two-dimensional barcode placed on the ladle gate, and the monitoring unit is configured to read such a two-dimensional barcode.

[0029] In an advantageous embodiment, the monitoring unit is configured to store in the refractory condition database the refractory manufacturing data in association with the refractory identification data, and the refractory manufacturing data includes at least one of the following data:

[0030] · Refractory material;

[0031] · Refractory manufacturing process parameters, such as temperature, pressure, and duration of various manufacturing steps;

[0032] · Refractory manufacturing date.

[0033] In an advantageous embodiment, the monitoring unit is configured to store in the refractory condition database the metal production data in association with the identification data of the metallurgical vessel, and the metal production data includes at least one of the following data:

[0034] · Type and grade of the metal cast in the metallurgical vessel;

[0035] · Types of different refractory materials used in the metallurgical vessel;

[0036] · Frequency and / or duration of one or more downtimes of the metallurgical vessel;

[0037] · Final product characteristics of the metal production process;

[0038] · Casting time;

[0039] ·Casting temperature;

[0040] ·Thermochemistry;

[0041] ·Installation date / time of one or more new refractory elements;

[0042] ·Number of castings with the same one or more refractory elements;

[0043] In an advantageous embodiment, the system according to the invention comprises a computing unit configured to calculate coefficients of a machine learning prediction model for the refractory condition data, wherein the computing unit is configured to:

[0044] i. Generate a plurality of training instances based on the data of the refractory condition database, wherein each training instance comprises:

[0045] 1. A training instance input based on at least one parameter extracted from the refractory manufacturing data and / or at least one parameter extracted from the metal production data;

[0046] 2. A training instance output based on at least one parameter extracted from the refractory condition data;

[0047] ii. Train the machine learning prediction model based on the training instances.

[0048] In an advantageous embodiment, the refractory element condition tool is a plate condition tool for measuring condition data of a slide gate plate coupled to a slide gate of a metallurgical vessel, such as a ladle, the slide gate comprising a tundish nozzle protruding from an outer wall of the slide gate, the slide gate being capable of switching between an open configuration and a closed configuration by sliding at least two slide gate plates relative to each other, and when the slide gate is in the open configuration, the tundish nozzle is in fluid communication with a casting channel of the metallurgical vessel, the plate condition tool comprising:

[0049] · A body comprising a closure to at least partially enclose the tundish nozzle;

[0050] · A gas injection device comprising a pressure regulator for injecting gas into the tundish nozzle through the closure at a target pressure;

[0051] · A gas flow measurement device for measuring the flow rate of the gas injected by the gas injection device;

[0052] · A controller communicatively connected to the gas flow measurement device and configured to receive input data related to the relative position of the slide gate plate.

[0053] In an advantageous embodiment, the controller is configured to store in the memory of the controller the gas flow rate (GF) required to reach the target pressure and the relative position (RP) of the sliding gate valve plate as a function of time variables.

[0054] In an advantageous embodiment, the controller is configured to process a function of the gas flow rate (GF) so as to extract a first index by calculating the derivative of the function and a second index by calculating the integral of the function. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0055] These and further aspects of the invention will be explained in more detail by way of example and with reference to the drawings, in which:

[0056] Figure 1a ) and Figure 1b ) respectively show a first embodiment and a second embodiment of a system according to the invention;

[0057] Figure 2a ) and Figure 2b ) represent Figure 1a ) and Figure 1b ) the interaction between the monitoring unit and other components in the embodiments of

[0058] Figure 3 shows an example of how the refractory condition database can be updated by the monitoring unit;

[0059] Figure 4a ) and Figure 4b ) respectively show a (a) two-plate sliding gate valve and a (b) three-plate sliding gate valve of a metallurgical vessel;

[0060] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the main components of an example of a plate condition tool used in a system according to the invention;

[0061] Figure 6 shows a perspective view of the bottom of a ladle, which ladle includes a sliding gate valve coupled to a plate condition tool of a system according to the invention;

[0062] Figure 7a ) and Figure 7b ) show graphs of parameters monitored by a plate condition tool of a system according to the invention;

[0063] The drawings are not drawn to scale. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0064] Figure 1a ) represents a first embodiment of a system according to the invention. The ladle 1 is placed in a workshop where its wearing elements are inspected and refurbished.

[0065] According to a basic feature of the present invention, the ladle 1 belongs to the series of metallurgical vessels, and each metallurgical vessel in the series is identifiable, which means that each metallurgical vessel in the series can be distinguished from one another. In Figure 1a ) the illustrated embodiment, a unique identification number N° is carried on the outer wall of the ladle 1 so that the ladle can be identified, for example, by the operator 11. Alternatively, the metallurgical vessel can carry an RFID tag or a bar code such as a QR code.

[0066] According to another basic feature of the present invention, the ladle 1 includes a removable refractory element such as a slide gate plate. Since the slide gate plate operates under mechanical and thermal constraints, the slide gate plate needs to be replaced at short time intervals. Therefore, by means of a reversible mechanical connection, the slide gate plate is advantageously mounted on the slide gate of the ladle 1. The slide gate plate can be clamped, for example, in the bracket of the slide gate so that it can be replaced from time to time by the operator or an operating robot. Other refractory elements of the slide gate, such as the tundish nozzle or the internal nozzle, can also be replaced when needed.

[0067] In Figure 1a ), the operator 11 stands next to a stack of spare refractory elements 1r. Each spare refractory element 1r carries a machine-readable tag (not shown), such as an RFID tag or a bar code. The operator 11 interacts with the reading station 2, which is configured to read the machine-readable identification tag of the spare refractory element 1d located in the reading area 21 of the reading station 2. The system according to the present invention further includes a refractory element condition tool 3 to facilitate the assessment of the condition of the refractory elements of the metallurgical vessel 1, such as the slide gate plate. The refractory element condition tool 3 is advantageously configured to measure physical parameters from which the wear condition of the refractory element 1p can be inferred. Specifically, the refractory element condition tool 3 must be able to detect when the refractory element is in a state of excessive wear such that it must be replaced. Document JP 2008221271 discloses, for example, such a refractory element condition tool 3 for assessing the wear condition of the slide gate plate of a metallurgical vessel. More examples of the refractory element condition tool will be further described herein.

[0068] According to another basic feature of the present invention, the system includes a monitoring unit 4. The monitoring unit 4 can be connected to the reading station 2 and the refractory element condition tool 3. The monitoring unit 4 is configured to receive condition data of at least one refractory element coupled to the metallurgical vessel 1 from the refractory element condition tool 3. After the condition data has been received, the condition data is stored in the refractory condition database in association with the identification data of the metallurgical vessel 1 by the monitoring unit 4. The monitoring unit 4 is also configured to determine based on the said condition data whether the refractory element 1p must be replaced and accordingly issue a "pass" or "fail" decision. The monitoring unit 4 includes at least one processor and preferably includes a memory. Such a processor can be located in the workshop of the metallurgical facility, directly adjacent to other components of the system according to the present invention such as the reading station 2 and the refractory element condition tool 3. The refractory element condition tool 3 then advantageously communicates with the monitoring unit 4 using a wired connection as shown in Figure 1a ) or using a wireless connection (antenna "c") as shown in Figure 1b ).

[0069] Alternatively, due to communication protocols (such as TCP / IP), the monitoring unit 4 can be located at a distance and can communicate with other components of the system according to the present invention via a computer network using a wired or wireless connection. The monitoring unit can also include a plurality of processors, at least some of which are embedded in other components of the system such as the reading station 2 or the refractory element condition tool 3. The refractory condition database can be stored in the memory of the monitoring unit 4. Alternatively, the refractory condition database can be a central database hosted on a remote server and collecting refractory condition data from different metallurgical facilities.

[0070] In the Figure 1a ) embodiment, the refractory element condition tool 3 and the spare refractory element 1r are manipulated by the operator 11. In this embodiment, the operator 11 is responsible for placing the spare refractory element 1r in the reading area 21 of the reading station 2. In the case where the monitoring unit 4 makes a "fail" decision, the used refractory element 1p is also manually removed from the metallurgical vessel 1 by the operator 11 and the spare refractory element is coupled to the metallurgical vessel 1. Thus, in this embodiment, the monitoring unit 4 advantageously includes a human-machine interface 41 (HMI) to manage the interaction between the system according to the present invention and the operator 11. Then, the HMI 41 is advantageously configured to notify the operator 11 whether the refractory element 1p must be replaced, for example, by displaying a message on a screen. As shown in Figure 1a ), the HMI 41 advantageously communicates with the monitoring unit 4 in a wired connection. Alternatively, the HMI 41 can be wirelessly connected to the monitoring unit 4. In yet another embodiment, the HMI 41 can be integrated into the monitoring unit 4 so that they share at least one common electronic processor.

[0071] As described above, the identification data of the metallurgical vessel 1 is data associated with the metallurgical vessel 1 that allows this metallurgical vessel 1 to be distinguished from other metallurgical vessels in the metal casting facility. As Figure 1a ) shows, this identification data can correspond to a unique identification number N° on the outer wall of the metallurgical vessel 1. In this embodiment, the HMI 41 can be configured to receive from the operator 11 the identification number N° of the metallurgical vessel 1 currently in the workshop. Alternatively, the metallurgical vessel 1 can carry a machine-readable tag, such as Figure 1b ) the RFID tag (antenna "a") shown. In this embodiment, the monitoring unit 4 is configured to read the RFID tag of the metallurgical vessel 1 to obtain its identification data when the metallurgical vessel 1 is located in the detection area 42 of the monitoring unit 4. It is important to note that throughout this text, the unique identification number or the machine-readable tag can be located on a removable part of the metallurgical vessel 1, such as the slide gate valve 1v, provided that the service life of such a removable part on the metallurgical vessel 1 is at least one order of magnitude higher than the service life of one of the refractory elements 1p. When implementing the system according to the present invention, the identification number of such a removable part can be regarded as the metallurgical vessel identification data.

[0072] If the monitoring unit 4 determines that a refractory element 1p must be replaced, or in other words, the monitoring unit has issued a "fail" decision, then the monitoring unit 4 will determine that the refractory element identification data received from the reading station 2 corresponds to the identification data of a spare refractory element for replacing at least one refractory element 1p. Then, the monitoring unit 4 is configured to associate such refractory element identification data with the identification data of the metallurgical vessel 1 in the refractory condition database.

[0073] The present invention also relates to a method implemented by at least one processor of the monitoring unit 4, wherein the method comprises the following steps:

[0074] i. Receiving condition data of the refractory element 1p coupled to the identifiable metallurgical vessel 1 from the refractory element condition tool 3;

[0075] ii. Receiving the identification data of the metallurgical vessel 1;

[0076] iii. Storing the condition data in association with the identification data of the metallurgical vessel 1 in the refractory condition database;

[0077] iv. Determining whether the refractory element 1p must be replaced based on the condition data ("pass or fail"), and in the case where the refractory element 1p must be replaced ("fail"), the monitoring unit 4 is configured to perform the following steps:

[0078] a. Determine that the refractory element identification data received from the reading station 2 corresponds to the identification data of a spare refractory element for replacing the at least one refractory element 1p;

[0079] b. Associate the refractory element identification data with the identification data of the metallurgical vessel 1 in the refractory condition database.

[0080] Advantageously, the above method is performed on a plurality of identifiable metallurgical vessels 1 and the method is repeated at regular time intervals.

[0081] When an operator is responsible for manipulating the spare refractory element 1r and coupling it to various metallurgical vessels, an input from the operator 11 will be requested to determine that the refractory element identification data received from the reading station 2 corresponds to the identification data of a spare refractory element for replacing the refractory element 1p.

[0082] The HMI 41 is advantageously configured to request the operator 11 to confirm that the refractory element identification data received from the reading station 2 corresponds to the identification data of a spare refractory element for replacing the used refractory element 1p when the refractory element 1p has to be replaced. In one embodiment, the HMI 41 may be configured to request the operator 11 to confirm that the spare refractory element 1d currently placed in the reading area 21 of the reading station 2 corresponds to the refractory element to be coupled to the metallurgical vessel 1 for replacing the used refractory element 1p. For example, the operator 11 may be requested to press a button on a keyboard to confirm that the refractory element identification data just received by the reading station 2 from the spare refractory element 1d in the reading area 21 corresponds to the identification data of the refractory element to be coupled to the metallurgical vessel 1 by the operator.

[0083] In another embodiment, when the metallurgical vessel carries an RFID tag and the monitoring unit 4 is configured to extract the metallurgical vessel identification data from such an RFID tag, the monitoring unit 4 may be configured to, by default, associate in the refractory condition database the refractory element identification data of the spare refractory element 1d placed in the reading area 21 of the reading station 2 with the identification data of the metallurgical vessel 1 located in the RFID detection area 42 of the monitoring unit 4. In such a configuration, the operator 11 is trained to place the spare refractory element 1d only after the monitoring unit 4 has issued a "fail" decision for the metallurgical vessel 1. In the present embodiment, placing the spare refractory element 1d in the reading area 21 of the reading station 2 is indeed regarded by the monitoring unit 4 as the operator's confirmation that the refractory element 1d is replacing the refractory element 1p in the metallurgical vessel 1. However, the HMI 41 is advantageously configured so that the operator 11 can modify the default association. This will allow the operator 11 to correct the default association in case the operator inadvertently places the spare refractory element 1d in the reading area 21 while the monitoring unit 4 eventually issues a "pass" decision for the metallurgical vessel 1 currently in the workshop.

[0084] Figure 1b ) shows an embodiment of the invention in which the system is configured to operate in an automated configuration with limited human intervention or even without any operator 11. In such a case, the monitoring unit 4 can operate the robotic system 5. Such a robotic system 5 is advantageously configured to perform Figure 1a ) at least some of the manipulations that the operator 11 has to manage in the embodiment of, including: manipulating the spare refractory element 1r, placing the spare refractory element 1r in the reading area 21 of the reading station 2, removing the used refractory element 1p from the metallurgical vessel 1, coupling the spare refractory element 1r to the metallurgical vessel 1, coupling and decoupling the refractory element condition tool 3 to and from the metallurgical vessel 1.

[0085] Figure 2a ) and Figure 2b ) summarize Figure 1a ) and Figure 1b ) the interaction between the monitoring unit 4 and other components in the embodiments of. In these figures, "RC Db" represents "refractory condition database". As Figure 1b ) and Figure 2b)As shown, in the case of a fully automated configuration of the system according to the invention, different metallurgical vessels advantageously carry machine-readable tags (antenna "a") so that when the metallurgical vessel 1 is in the static detection area 42, the monitoring unit 4 can read the identification data of the metallurgical vessel 1 contained in the machine-readable tag. Alternatively, the robotic system 5 can be configured to read the machine-readable tag of the metallurgical vessel 1 by means of a suitable reading system integrated into the robotic system 5, such as a machine vision system or an RFID reading station.

[0086] Figure 3 An example is shown of how the refractory condition database can be updated for a ladle (with identification data L1234) by the monitoring unit 4. Refractory condition data is generated by successive refractory condition tests RCT 1-9 carried out at different times by the refractory element condition tool 3, and a "pass" or "fail" decision is made by the monitoring unit 4. Initially, a refractory element with identification data R111 is coupled to the ladle L1234. As shown, the first two refractory condition tests RCT1, RCT2 result in a "pass" decision because they reflect that the refractory element R111 does not show signs of excessive wear. On the other hand, the third refractory test RCT 3 results in a "fail" decision. This "fail" decision triggers the replacement of the refractory element R111 with a spare refractory element R344, the identification of which is obtained by the monitoring unit 4 from the reading station 2. The monitoring unit 4 then associates the subsequent refractory condition tests RCT 4-7 with this new refractory element R344 until the refractory condition test RCT 7, at which point it is determined that the refractory element R344 must be replaced due to a "fail" decision being issued. The monitoring unit 4 can apply the same update process to different metallurgical vessels 1 of the metallurgical facility. The refractory condition database can also collect refractory condition data from different metallurgical facilities each including a system according to the invention.

[0087] The refractory condition database updated by at least one monitoring unit 4 thus allows tracking of the refractory elements used in one or several metallurgical facilities and linking each refractory element with the condition data of the refractory element measured at successive time steps. Using the system according to the invention, such a valuable database can be established once they have been operated in a metallurgical vessel, even if the identification tag carried by the refractory element cannot be accessed or even if the said identification tag is damaged.

[0088] Although this refractory condition database allows individual tracking of various refractory elements in a metallurgical facility and can be integrated into, for example, a supply chain management application of a metal casting facility, this refractory condition database can also be used to generate a computational model of the behavior of refractory elements 1p, 1r in a metallurgical facility. To this end, refractory manufacturing data, such as refractory materials or certain refractory production process parameters, such as temperature, pressure, and duration of various refractory manufacturing steps, can be advantageously stored in the refractory condition database in association with the identification data of the corresponding refractory elements by means of a monitoring unit 4. Since the refractory identification data and / or batch number and / or production time are associated with the refractory elements, such refractory manufacturing data can be extracted from, for example, a refractory manufacturing database.

[0089] Metal production data can also be advantageously stored in the refractory condition database by means of the monitoring unit 4. Such metal production data can be associated with the identification data of the corresponding metallurgical vessel 1 and advantageously includes at least one of the following data: the type of metal cast in the metallurgical vessel 1, the types of different refractory materials used in the metallurgical vessel 1, the frequency and / or duration of downtime of the metallurgical vessel, the end-product characteristics of the metal production process. When the refractory element 1p to be monitored is a slide gate plate, the metal production data also advantageously includes the service time of the plate in a worn condition. To this end, the fully closed time and the fully open time of the slide gate plate can be inferred from the total casting time, since in these two positions, the plate is subject to little or no wear. Alternatively, data related to the number of relative movements performed by the slide gate plate of the metallurgical vessel 1 can also be stored and associated with the identification data of the corresponding metallurgical vessel 1.

[0090] In an advantageous embodiment, the system according to the invention comprises a computing unit configured to train a machine learning prediction model for refractory condition data, such as a (deep) neural network model or a probabilistic graphical model, wherein the computing unit is configured to:

[0091] i. Generate a plurality of training instances based on the data of the refractory condition database, wherein each training instance comprises:

[0092] · A training instance input based on at least one parameter extracted from the refractory manufacturing data and / or at least one parameter extracted from the metal production data;

[0093] · A training instance output based on at least one parameter extracted from the refractory condition data;

[0094] ii. Train the machine learning prediction model based on the training instances.

[0095] As already explained above, the refractory elements 1r, 1p can be slide gate plates. Such slide gate plates are an essential part of the slide gate 1v of a metallurgical vessel. The slide gate can be a two-plate or three-plate slide gate. As Figure 4a ) shows, the two-plate slide gate includes an upper slide gate plate 1u and a lower slide gate plate 1L, while as Figure 4b ) shows, the three-plate slide gate further includes an intermediate slide gate plate 1m sandwiched between the upper slide gate plate 1u and the lower slide gate plate 1L.

[0096] The slide gate plate includes a sliding surface 1s, which is spaced from a second surface by the thickness of the slide gate plate and joined to each other by a peripheral edge. The slide gate plate further includes a through hole 1b extending along the normal of the sliding surface. The second surface of the intermediate slide gate plate 1m is also a sliding surface. The upper slide gate plate, the lower slide gate plate, and optionally the intermediate-slide gate plate are each coupled to a receiving bracket 1c of a respective upper plate support frame 11t, lower plate support frame 11L, and optionally intermediate-plate support frame 11m, and at least one sliding surface 1s of one plate is in sliding contact with the sliding surface 1s of a second plate.

[0097] The upper plate support frame 11u is fixed relative to the metallurgical vessel, and the upper slide gate plate 1u is generally coupled to the internal nozzle of the metallurgical vessel. In the two-plate slide gate (see Figure 4a ), the lower plate support frame 11L is a movable carriage that can be driven by a pneumatic or hydraulic piston 17 to translate so that the sliding surface of the lower slide gate plate abuts and slides relative to the sliding surface of the upper slide gate plate. In the three-plate slide gate, the lower plate support frame 11L is fixed relative to the upper plate support frame and the metallurgical vessel. The intermediate plate support frame 11m is a movable carriage that is adapted to cause the two sliding surfaces of the intermediate-slide gate plate to abut and slide relative to the sliding surfaces of the upper slide gate plate and the lower slide gate plate, respectively. As is well known in the art, in the three-plate slide gate, the sliding translation of the sliding surface of the slide gate plate relative to the sliding surface of the upper slide gate plate, and optionally relative to the sliding surface of the lower slide gate plate, allows control of the overlap level between the through holes 2b of the two (or three) plates.

[0098] As described above, since the sliding gate valve plate operates under mechanical and thermal constraints, the sliding gate valve plate needs to be replaced at short time intervals. Specifically, after several casting operations, the sliding surface 1s of the sliding gate valve plate may be eroded and / or its through-hole 1b may become larger. In order to determine whether the sliding gate valve plate must be replaced, it is necessary to evaluate its wear condition in advance. In the present invention, the refractory element condition tool 3 can be a plate condition tool to evaluate the wear condition of the sliding gate valve plate by performing a plate condition test while the plate is still connected to the sliding gate valve of the metallurgical vessel 1.

[0099] As Figure 5 shown, the plate condition tool 3 according to the present invention has a body 44 which includes a closure 9 to at least partially close the tundish 1n of the sliding gate valve 1v in the metallurgical vessel 1. The function of the closure 9 is to oppose the resistance to the displacement of the gas trying to flow out of the tundish 1n, which is sometimes inaccurately referred to as "back pressure". The closure 9 can include a seal holder to hold the seal pressed against the tundish 1n by an actuator. In another embodiment, the closure can include a cap screwed onto the thread of the tundish 1n. In yet another embodiment, the closure can include a cap which is chemically sealed to the tundish 1n, for example by cement. In a preferred embodiment, the closure is configured as a completely airtight closure of the tundish 1n. However, a completely airtight closure is not necessary for performing the plate condition test using the plate condition tool according to the present invention. In fact, for example, even in the case where the tundish 1n is damaged, the plate condition tool 3 can be used while the closure 9 can no longer be sealed airtight with the tundish.

[0100] One basic feature of the present invention is a gas injection device including a pressure regulator 6 to inject gas into the tundish 1n through the closure 9 at a target pressure. The pressure regulator is a control valve which is configured to receive gas at an input pressure and reduce this input pressure to a desired value (target pressure) at its output. In the present invention, the pressure regulator 6 can be, for example, an electronic proportional pressure regulator which is configured to receive compressed air at a pressure of 6 bar from a high-pressure air supplier and regulate the gas flow between the input and output of the electronic proportional pressure regulator to maintain a target pressure of 1.5 bar at the output of the electronic proportional pressure regulator. The gas injection device is advantageously configured to inject gas into the through-hole of the closure 9 through a supply pipe.

[0101] Another basic feature of the present invention is the presence of a gas flow measurement device 7 or flowmeter 7 which is configured to measure the flow rate of the gas injected into the tundish 1n by the gas injection device. As Figure 5As shown, this gas flow measuring device 7 is advantageously installed between the pressure regulator 6 and the shutter 9 so that the gas from the output of the pressure regulator 6 flows through the gas flow measuring device 7 before entering the drain 1n.

[0102] A third essential feature of the present invention is the controller 8 which is communicatively connected to the gas flow measuring device 7 and is configured to receive input data related to the relative position of the sliding gate valve plates. Such a controller is advantageously an electronic controller (such as a PLC) which is configured to store, at successive time steps, the values of (i) the gas flow rate and (ii) the relative position of the sliding gate valve plates in the memory of the controller. In an advantageous embodiment, the controller 8 is communicatively connected to the pressure regulator 6. The controller 8 is a central unit which monitors the pressure regulated by the pressure regulator 6, the gas flow rate measured by the flow meter 7, and the relative positions of the sliding gate valve plates 1u, 1L, 1m. In an advantageous embodiment, the controller 8 is also configured to control the relative sliding movement of the sliding gate valve plates 1u, 1L, 1m by actuating a pneumatic or hydraulic piston 17. In this configuration, the controller 8 is capable of initiating on its own the relative sliding movement of the sliding gate valve plates 1u, 1L, 1m required to perform the full plate condition test. In an advantageous embodiment, the controller 8 is configured to perform the plate condition test when moving the sliding gate 1v from the closed configuration to the open configuration.

[0103] By processing the gas flow measurement data and the relative position data of the sliding gate valve plates 1u, 1L, 1m, the controller 8 will be able to evaluate an indicator related to the wear state of the sliding gate valve plates 1u, 1L, 1m. The gas flow rate measured by the flow meter 7 during the relative displacement of the sliding gate valve plates is indeed strongly correlated with the amount of gas flowing through the sliding gate 1v. As already explained above, in the case where the sliding gate valve plates are in an ideal state (no wear), fluid can flow through the sliding gate only when there is at least partial overlap between the through holes 1b of the sliding gate valve plates 1u, 1L, 1m. Since the through holes 1b of the sliding gate valve plates in the ideal state have a known diameter, the shape of the profile of the gas flow rate changes abruptly at known relative positions of the sliding gate valve plates. Such an abrupt change in the gas flow rate is indeed observed at the positions where the through holes 1b start or stop, depending on whether the sliding gate 1v is initially in the gate closed configuration (abrupt rise) or in the gate open configuration (abrupt fall).

[0104] In Figure 7a) This sharp change in gas flow rate is shown in [the figure], which shows the curve GF of gas flow rate versus the time variable when the relative position RP of the sliding gate valve plate changes from the gate closed configuration to the open configuration. The initial peak S1 corresponds to the gas flow rate required to increase the pressure in the submerged nozzle 1n. The sharp rise S2 in gas flow rate corresponds to the relative position of the sliding gate valve 1v when the through holes 2b start to overlap. The curve NP shows the gas pressure monitored by the pressure regulator 6, which reaches its target value of 1.5 bar after the initial gas flow rate peak S1.

[0105] Figure 7b ) shows the same graph as Figure 7a ) but this time for a worn plate. The worn plate is characterized by an eroded sliding surface 1s and / or enlarged through holes 1b. In the case of erosion of the surface 1s, there is a slight increase M1 before the sharp rise S2 in gas flow rate, which reflects that leakage occurs when the through holes 1b are in fluid communication before they start to overlap. When the worn plate has enlarged through holes 1b, the sharp rise S2 can also be observed to shift to the left. The plate condition tool 3 and its controller 8 will allow the detection and quantification of these changes in the GF curve.

[0106] In one embodiment, the controller 8 can be configured to quantify the leakage caused by the erosion of the sliding surface 1s by calculating the area under the gas flow rate graph GF, or in other words, by integrating the gas flow rate with respect to the time variable. To produce a meaningful physical indicator related to the leakage caused by erosion, it is advantageous to place this integration in perspective, for example, by normalizing the sliding speed of the moving sliding gate valve plate during the test. On the other hand, the enlargement of the through holes 1b of the plate can be quantified by evaluating the shift of the sharp rise S2. In one embodiment, the position of the sharp rise S2 can be found by calculating the derivative of the gas flow rate graph GF and finding the local maximum of this derivative. Then, by using the graph RP, the relative positions of the sliding gate valve plates 1u, 1L, 1m can be associated with this sharp rise S2.

[0107] To generate the graph RP of the relative positions of the sliding gate valve plates 1u, 1L, 1m and extract the above physical indicators, the controller 8 must receive an electronic signal related to the relative position. In one embodiment, such an electronic signal can be provided by a rangefinder configured to measure the displacement of the moving sliding gate valve plates 1L, 1m. Alternatively, this electronic signal can be directly obtained from the control system of the pneumatic or hydraulic piston 17 that actuates the movable carriages 11L, 11m of the sliding gate valve 11. However, this embodiment is only advantageous when the control system can determine the position of the moving sliding gate valve plates 1L, 1m with sufficient accuracy.

Claims

1. A system for tracking and evaluating the condition of refractory elements in metallurgical facilities, characterized in that, The system comprises: a) a plurality of identifiable metallurgical vessels (1), each of the identifiable metallurgical vessels comprising a removable refractory element (1p), the refractory element (1p) comprising a slide gate plate; b) a plurality of spare refractory elements, each of the spare refractory elements comprising a machine-readable identification tag, the machine-readable identification tag comprising refractory element identification data; c) a reading station (2) configured to read the machine-readable identification tag of a spare refractory element positioned within a reading area (21) of the reading station (2); d) a refractory element condition tool (3) configured to evaluate the condition of a refractory element coupled to any one of the metallurgical vessels (1), wherein the refractory element condition tool is a plate condition tool for measuring condition data of a slide gate plate coupled to a slide gate (1v) of the metallurgical vessel (1), the slide gate (1v) comprising a tundish nozzle (1n) protruding from an outer wall of the slide gate (1v), the slide gate (1v) being capable of switching between an open configuration and a closed configuration by sliding at least two slide gate plates relative to each other, and when the slide gate (1v) is in the open configuration, the tundish nozzle (1n) is in fluid communication with a casting channel of the metallurgical vessel (1), the plate condition tool comprising: i. a body (44) comprising a closure (9) for at least partially closing the tundish nozzle (1n); ii. a gas injection device comprising a pressure regulator (6) configured to inject gas into the tundish nozzle (1n) through the closure (9) at a target pressure; iii. a gas flow measurement device (7) configured to measure the flow rate of the gas injected by the gas injection device; iv. a controller (8) communicatively connected to the gas flow measurement device (7) and configured to receive input data related to the relative position of the slide gate plate; e) a monitoring unit (4) comprising at least one electronic processor and being connectable to the reading station (2) and the refractory element condition tool (3), wherein the monitoring unit (4) is configured to: i. receive condition data of at least one refractory element (1p) coupled to one of the metallurgical vessels (1) from the refractory element condition tool (3); ii. receive identification data of the metallurgical vessel (1); iii. store the condition data in association with the identification data of the metallurgical vessel (1) in a refractory condition database; iv. determine, based on the condition data, whether the refractory element (1p) must be replaced, and in the case where the refractory element (1p) must be replaced, the monitoring unit (4) is configured to: a. Determine that the refractory element identification data received from the reading station (2) corresponds to the identification data of the spare refractory element for replacing the at least one refractory element (1p); b. Associate the refractory element identification data with the identification data of the metallurgical vessel (1) in the refractory condition database.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the metallurgical vessel (1) comprises a ladle, or the reading station (2) comprises an RFID workbench.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring unit (4) comprises a human-machine interface (41), and the human-machine interface (41) is configured to notify the operator (11) whether the refractory element (1p) needs to be replaced.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein The human-machine interface is configured to request the operator (11) to confirm that the refractory element identification data received by the reading station (2) corresponds to the identification data of the spare refractory element for replacing the at least one refractory element (1p) when the refractory element (1p) needs to be replaced.

5. The system according to any one of the preceding claims 1-4, wherein each metallurgical vessel (1) comprises a machine-readable tag, and the monitoring unit (4) is configured to read such a machine-readable tag when the metallurgical vessel (1) is in the detection area (42) of the monitoring unit (4).

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein, i. The monitoring unit (4) is configured to, by default, associate the refractory element identification data of the spare refractory element placed in the reading area (21) of the reading station (2) with the identification data of the metallurgical vessel (1) located in the detection area (42) of the monitoring unit (4) in the refractory condition database; ii. The human-machine interface (41) is configured to enable the operator to modify the default association.

7. The system according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring unit (4) operates a robotic system (5), and the robotic system is configured to perform at least some of the following maneuvers: maneuver the spare refractory element, place the spare refractory element in the reading area (21) of the reading station (2), remove the used refractory element (1p) from the metallurgical vessel (1), couple the spare refractory element to the metallurgical vessel (1), couple and decouple the refractory element condition tool (3) to and from the metallurgical vessel (1).

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the reading station (2) is an RFID workbench, and the spare refractory element comprises an RFID tag.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the identification data of the metallurgical vessel (1) is included on a two-dimensional barcode placed on the ladle gate, and the monitoring unit (4) is configured to read such a two-dimensional barcode.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring unit (4) is configured to store the refractory manufacturing data in association with the refractory element identification data in the refractory condition database, the refractory manufacturing data including at least one of refractory materials, refractory manufacturing process parameters, and refractory manufacturing dates. Among them, The refractory manufacturing process parameters include the temperature, pressure, and duration of various manufacturing steps.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the monitoring unit (4) is configured to store the metal production data in association with the identification data of the metallurgical vessel (1) in the refractory condition database, the metal production data including at least one of the following data: a) The type of metal cast in the metallurgical vessel (1); b) The types of different refractory materials used in the metallurgical vessel (1); c) The frequency and / or duration of one or more shutdowns of the metallurgical vessel (1); d) The final product characteristics of the metal production process; e) Casting time; f) Casting temperature; g) Thermochemistry; h) The installation date / time of one or more new refractory elements; i) The number of castings with the same one or more refractory elements.

12. The system according to any one of claims 10 or 11, wherein the system includes a computing unit configured to train a machine learning prediction model for the refractory condition data, and wherein the computing unit is configured to: i. Generate a plurality of training instances based on the data in the refractory condition database, wherein each training instance includes: ● A training instance input based on at least one parameter extracted from the refractory manufacturing data and / or at least one parameter extracted from the metal production data; ● A training instance output based on at least one parameter extracted from the refractory condition data; ii. Train the machine learning prediction model based on the training instances.

13. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller (8) is configured to store the gas flow rate (GF) required to reach the target pressure and the relative position (RP) of the slide gate plate as a function of time variable in the memory of the controller (8).

14. The system according to claim 1, wherein the controller (8) is configured to process the gas flow rate (GF) function to extract a first index by calculating the derivative of the function and a second index by calculating the integral of the function.

15. A method implemented by at least one processor of the monitoring unit (4) in the system according to any one of the preceding claims 1-14, wherein the method includes the following steps: i. Receive the condition data of the refractory element (1p) coupled to the identifiable metallurgical vessel (1) from the refractory element condition tool (3); ii. Receive the identification data of the metallurgical vessel (1); iii. Store the condition data in association with the identification data of the metallurgical vessel (1) in the refractory condition database. iv. Determine whether the refractory element (1p) must be replaced based on the status data, and in the case where the refractory element (1p) must be replaced, the monitoring unit (4) is configured to perform the following steps: a. Determine that the refractory element identification data received from the reading station (2) corresponds to the identification data of a spare refractory element for replacing the at least one refractory element (1p); b. Associate the refractory element identification data with the identification data of the metallurgical vessel (1) in the refractory status database.

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