Blast furnace operation method, blast furnace operation support device and information terminal

Abstract

To provide a blast furnace operation method, a blast furnace operation support device, and a terminal device that can indicate an appropriate timing for closing a tap hole without being influenced by external factors.SOLUTION: There is provided a method for operating a blast furnace having a tap hole to produce molten iron, in which the presence or absence of splashing of molten iron tapped from the tap hole is determined, and based on the determined presence or absence of splashing, a decision is made regarding the blockage of the tap hole. As a preferred embodiment, while molten iron is being tapped from the tap hole into a tap channel, the presence or absence of splashing of molten iron from the tap channel is determined. If splashing is confirmed, and the tapping time is equal to or longer than a predetermined time, or when no splash is detected and the slag discharge rate is higher than the tapping rate, the tap hole is blocked.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a blast furnace operation method for producing molten iron using a blast furnace having a plurality of tap holes, a blast furnace operation support device, and an information terminal. [Background technology]

[0002] When producing molten iron, the decision to block a taphole of a blast furnace having multiple tapholes has traditionally been based almost entirely on the judgment of blast furnace operators.

[0003] Furthermore, a technique for determining the timing of taphole closure is known, as disclosed in Patent Document 1. In this technique, after starting tapping from the taphole, the amount of remaining molten iron in the furnace is calculated sequentially from the cumulative predicted amount of molten iron generated in the furnace and the cumulative amount of molten iron tapped from the taphole. At the same time, the predicted rate of decrease of the remaining molten iron in the furnace is calculated sequentially from the rate of molten iron generation in the furnace and the average predicted tapping rate calculated from past tapping rate patterns. The predicted time to complete tapping is then calculated sequentially from the amount of remaining molten iron in the furnace and the predicted rate of decrease of the remaining molten iron in the furnace. After the predicted time to complete tapping falls within a predetermined range, a decrease in the tapping rate of the molten iron being tapped from the taphole is detected, and the end of tapping is determined, and the taphole is closed. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-125414 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The conventional method of having blast furnace workers decide when to close the tap hole resulted in a delayed decision to close the tap hole, which could result in excessive splashing from inside the furnace and damage to furnace equipment.

[0006] Meanwhile, in the conventional technology for determining the amount of residual iron and slag in the furnace and closing the taphole, there was no established method for accurately measuring the weight of molten iron and slag, which is a high-temperature molten material. Furthermore, while it was possible to estimate the amount of iron being made in the furnace from factors such as the amount of blast air, it was not possible to obtain an accurate value because it could not be measured directly. Therefore, estimates of the amount of residual iron and slag in the furnace were merely reference values, making it difficult to close the taphole at the correct time.

[0007] An object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and to propose a blast furnace operation method, a blast furnace operation support device, and an information terminal that can indicate the appropriate timing for closing a taphole without being influenced by external factors. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present inventors have studied the use of splashing of molten iron tapping from the taphole (gas blowing from the taphole), which is solid evidence that the amount of residual iron and slag in the furnace has decreased, as the timing for closing the taphole in a blast furnace operation method, and have achieved the present invention.

[0009] The method for operating a blast furnace according to the present invention is a method for operating a blast furnace having a tap hole to produce molten iron, in which the presence or absence of splash of the molten iron tapped from the tap hole is determined, and blockage of the tap hole is judged based on the presence or absence of splash determined.

[0010] In the method for operating a blast furnace according to the present invention configured as described above, (1) determining whether the tap hole is blocked using at least one of the tapping time, the tapping rate, and the tapping speed; (2) When determining whether the tap hole is blocked, the presence or absence of splashing of molten iron from the tap hole is determined while the molten iron is being tapped from the tap hole into the tapping runner, and if the splashing is confirmed and the tapping time is equal to or longer than a predetermined time, or if the splashing is not confirmed and the slag tapping rate is higher than the iron tapping rate, the tap hole is determined to be blocked. (3) The presence or absence of splashing of molten iron from the tapping runner is determined from real-time image data during the tapping process using an AI that has been trained using image data from past tapping processes that indicate the occurrence of splashing of molten iron as input. This is considered to be a more preferable solution.

[0011] Furthermore, the blast furnace operation support device according to the present invention is a blast furnace operation support device that determines whether the tap hole of the blast furnace is blocked, and is equipped with a determination means that determines whether or not splashing of molten iron is occurring from the tap hole, and a determination means that determines whether or not the tap hole is blocked based on the determined presence or absence of splashing.

[0012] In the blast furnace operation support device according to the present invention configured as described above, (1) The determination means further determines the clogging of the tap hole using at least one of the tapping time, the tapping rate, and the tapping speed; (2) The determination means further determines whether or not molten iron is splashing from the tapping runner using an AI that has been trained using image data from past tapping operations that indicate the occurrence of molten iron splashing as input. This is considered to be a more preferable solution.

[0013] Furthermore, the terminal device according to the present invention is a terminal device that includes an output means for outputting information regarding the blockage of the taphole of the blast furnace determined using the above-described blast furnace operation method. [Effects of the Invention]

[0014] According to the blast furnace operation method of the present invention, by closing the taphole based on the presence or absence of splashing of molten iron, it is possible to make an appropriate decision on closing the taphole and prevent problems such as blow-through in the blast furnace. Furthermore, this also makes it possible to use AI to make decisions on tasks that were previously performed by ordinary people, eliminating human error and providing the benefit of preventing troubles in the blast furnace. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is an image showing one embodiment of the state of molten iron at a tap hole (no splashing occurs) in a blast furnace operating method according to the present invention. [Figure 2] 10 is an image showing another embodiment of the state of molten iron at the tap hole (with splashing) in the blast furnace operating method according to the present invention. [Figure 3] 1 is a flowchart for explaining one embodiment of closing a tap hole in a method for operating a blast furnace according to the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a determination of whether splashing has occurred as a preferred embodiment in a blast furnace operating method according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] The following describes in detail the embodiments of the present invention. Note that the following embodiments are intended to exemplify devices and methods for embodying the technical concept of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the configuration to that described below. In other words, the technical concept of the present invention can be modified in various ways within the technical scope defined in the claims.

[0017] <One embodiment of the blast furnace operating method of the present invention> In the present invention, in a method for operating a blast furnace having a taphole to produce molten iron, first, it is determined whether or not splash occurs in the molten iron tapped from the taphole. Normally, as shown in Fig. 1, when the tapping is stable, no splash occurs from the end of the cover 13 covering the tap runner 12 of the taphole 11, and it is determined that no splash occurs. Then, as shown in Fig. 2, when splash 14 occurs from the end of the cover 13 covering the tap runner 12 of the taphole 11 and exceeds a certain level, it is determined that splash occurs. Then, when it is determined that splash occurs, for example, an instruction is given to a blast furnace operator to close the taphole from which the molten iron is currently being tapped.

[0018] The occurrence of splashing can be determined by constantly monitoring the state of the taphole using AI, as will be described later. The blocking of the taphole will be described in more detail below as a preferred embodiment of the method for operating a blast furnace according to the present invention.

[0019] <Preferable embodiment for closing the taphole during tapping> (1) Regarding the embodiment of closing the taphole during tapping: FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating one embodiment of the taphole closure in the blast furnace operation method according to the present invention. In the present invention, when closure of a taphole during tapping is performed, the time taken for the last five taps from the taphole under monitoring is first averaged. If splashing from the taphole is detected by a camera within ±30 minutes of the average time, it is determined that the amount of residual iron and slag in the furnace has decreased, and a closure command is issued. Even if there is no splashing and the tapping rate (measured by a load cell, etc.) is lower than the current tapping rate (tap rate < slag rate), it is determined that the amount of residual iron and slag in the furnace has decreased, and a closure command is issued. Here, the tapping rate corresponds to the granulated slag production rate (calculated from a scale attached to the product conveyor belt) in the case of granulated slag production. If granulated slag is not produced, it is calculated from the time it takes for the ladle to become full and the ladle capacity (e.g., 50 t).

[0020] (2) In the case of a blast furnace having multiple tapholes, an embodiment for opening an unused taphole: On the other hand, it is generally ideal for one of the multiple tapholes on a blast furnace to always be open. Therefore, if a closure command is issued for a taphole that is currently tapping, it is preferable to immediately transition to the flow for opening a reverse tap (a taphole that is not in operation, i.e., a taphole installed in a different location from the taphole currently tapping). Specifically, as shown in Figure 3, when a closure command is issued for a taphole that is currently tapping, the trough usage status of the reverse tap that is scheduled to be opened is checked. If there are no problems after checking, the torpedo car placement status is checked using data. If these two points are OK, it is determined that there is no problem with opening, and an order to open the reverse tap is issued.

[0021] Although not disclosed in the flowchart shown in FIG. 3, in addition to the above case, when splash is not confirmed and the casting speed is higher than the tapping speed, an opening instruction for reverse TAP can be given. Specifically, even when the balance of molten slag during tapping (the difference obtained by subtracting the amount of tapped slag from the amount of cast slag) significantly increases, it is determined that an opening of reverse TAP is necessary because the amount of remaining slag in the furnace is increasing. Then, as described above, the usage status of the reverse TAP trough and the arrangement status of the torpedo car are confirmed, and if there are no problems, an opening instruction for reverse TAP can be implemented. This can reduce the risk of causing major troubles such as blow-through due to a delay in the determination of the opening of the tapping port. Here, regarding the amount of cast slag, as described in Japanese Patent No. 7111277, the amount of molten material produced may be calculated using the production rate PV of the molten material calculated using the following formula (1).

[0022] Formula (1): TIFF2025138559000002.tif25166 In the above formula (1), PV is the production rate of the molten material (kg / sec). TV is the flow rate of the top gas (Nm 3 / sec). Fo is the molar concentration of O atoms in the top gas (mol / Nm 3 ). BV is the flow rate of the hot blast blown from the tuyere (Nm 3 / sec). EO is the volume fraction of oxygen in the hot blast (-). OM (-) is the ratio of the number of oxygen atoms to the number of metal atoms per 1 mol of the object to be reduced in the raw material. MM is the atomic weight of the metal atom (g / mol).

[0023] <Preferred Embodiment of Detecting the Presence or Absence of Splash Using AI> The method for determining the presence or absence of splash is not particularly limited, and any method can be used as long as it can determine whether splash occurs. Here, in the operation method of the blast furnace of the present invention, a method of detecting the presence or absence of splash using AI is a preferred embodiment. Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of detecting the presence or absence of splash using AI will be described.

[0024] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a preferred embodiment of a method for operating a blast furnace according to the present invention for determining whether splashing has occurred. In FIG. 4, a system 21 for detecting splashing using AI includes IP cameras 22-1 to 22-3 that capture images from cameras installed at multiple locations in front of the taphole. The system also includes a blast furnace VMS server 23-1 that integrates the camera images captured by the IP cameras 22-1 to 22-3, and a blast furnace status analysis server 23-2 that aggregates blast furnace operation data. Data is then sent from the blast furnace VMS server 23-1 and the blast furnace status analysis server 23-2 to an operation support device (AI server) 24 for blast furnace A, which incorporates image processing software, to determine whether the taphole is blocked. The result of the determination is then output to the screen of a terminal device (monitoring display) 25 installed in the control room, which then issues instructions to a blast furnace operator. This allows the taphole to be controlled based on the presence or absence of splashing.

[0025] Furthermore, data on the reverse TAP trough usage status and data on the torpedo car placement status can be sent from the blast furnace status analysis server 23-2 to the blast furnace operation support device (AI server) 24, and once trough preparation and torpedo car placement are complete, a decision on whether to open the reverse TAP can be made.Then, the result of the decision can be output to the screen of a terminal device (monitoring display) 25 installed in the control room, and an instruction to open the trough can be issued to a blast furnace worker.

[0026] In this AI image processing, images capturing as many splashing events as possible for each taphole are first loaded onto the server. These images are then used as training data to create AI software that detects splashing from tapping video. The server with the created AI software installed receives real-time video of each taphole from the camera video integration system installed in the blast furnace, converts the video into images at any frame rate, and loads them into the AI ​​software, enabling real-time image processing. Furthermore, by sending operational data from the blast furnace status analysis server to the server with the AI ​​software, the blast furnace operation method of the present invention can issue instructions to close the taphole using the image processing results and data such as tapping time and tapping speed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0027] 11 Taphole 12 Tapping sluice 13 Cover 14 Splash 21 System 22-1~22-3 IP Camera 23-1 Blast Furnace VMS Server 23-2 Blast furnace status analysis server 24 Blast furnace operation support device (AI server) 25 Terminal equipment (monitoring display)

Claims

1. A method for operating a blast furnace having a taphole to produce molten iron, comprising determining whether or not splash occurs in the molten iron being tapped from the taphole, and determining whether or not the taphole is blocked based on the determined presence or absence of splash.

2. 2. The method for operating a blast furnace according to claim 1, wherein the plugging of the tap hole is determined using at least one of a tapping time, a tapping rate, and a tapping speed.

3. 3. The method for operating a blast furnace according to claim 2, wherein when determining whether the tap hole is blocked, the presence or absence of splashing of molten iron from the tap runner is determined while the molten iron is being tapped from the tap hole into the tap runner, and whether the tap hole is blocked is determined if the splashing is confirmed and the tapping time is equal to or longer than a predetermined time, or if the splashing is not confirmed and the slag tapping rate is higher than the metal tapping rate.

4. 2. The method for operating a blast furnace according to claim 1, wherein the presence or absence of splashing of molten iron from the tapping runner is determined from real-time image data during the tapping using AI that has been trained using image data during past tapping that indicates the occurrence of splashing of molten iron as input.

5. 3. The method for operating a blast furnace according to claim 2, wherein the presence or absence of splashing of molten iron from the tapping runner is determined from real-time image data during the tapping using AI that has been trained using image data during past tapping that indicates the occurrence of splashing of molten iron as input.

6. A blast furnace operation support device that determines whether a tap hole of a blast furnace is blocked, a determination means for determining whether or not splashing of molten iron occurs when the molten iron is tapped from the tap hole; a determination means for determining whether the tap hole is blocked based on the presence or absence of splash; This is a blast furnace operation support device equipped with the above.

7. 7. The blast furnace operation support device according to claim 6, wherein the determination means further determines the clogging of the tap hole using at least one of a tapping time, a tapping rate, and a tapping speed.

8. 7. The blast furnace operation support device according to claim 6, wherein the determination means further determines whether or not molten iron has splashed from the tapping runner by using AI that has been trained using image data during past tapping that indicates the occurrence of molten iron splash as input.

9. A terminal device comprising an output means for outputting information regarding blockage of a tap hole of a blast furnace determined using the blast furnace operation method according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

Images