Charged particle detector system and method for blast furnace imaging

Abstract

Imaging techniques using high energy charged particles can be used to image an object under inspection, such as a blast furnace. An exemplary method for imaging a blast furnace includes performing a first movement motion by moving a first particle tracking detector and a second particle tracking detector up and down along a height of the blast furnace, performing a second movement motion by moving the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector clockwise or counterclockwise around the blast furnace, receiving incident charged particles by the first particle tracking detector, receiving outgoing charged particles passing through the blast furnace by the second particle tracking detector, and generating an image of an object volume located between the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector by processing electrical signals corresponding to the received incident and outgoing charged particles.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 208,899, filed June 9, 2021, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] This patent document relates to the technical field of imaging and inspecting various items using charged particle detectors. [Background technology]

[0003] Figure 1 shows an example of a blast furnace 100, which may include a vertical shaft furnace capable of producing liquid metal by the reaction of a stream of air introduced under pressure into the bottom of the furnace with a mixture of metal ore, coke, and flux fed to the top. Blast furnaces can be used to produce pig iron from iron ore for subsequent processing into steel, and can also be used to process lead, copper, and other metals. In a blast furnace, rapid combustion can be maintained by the stream of air under pressure.

[0004] The furnace charge of iron-bearing materials (e.g., iron ore pellets and sinter), coke, and flux (e.g., limestone) can descend through shaft 102, where it is preheated and reacts with the rising reducing gas to produce liquid iron and slag that accumulates in the hearth 104. Preheated air, to a temperature of approximately 900°C to 1,250°C (approximately 1,650°F and 2,300°F), along with injected fuel, such as oil or natural gas, can be blown into the furnace through multiple tuyere nozzles (also known as nozzles) located around the periphery of the furnace near the top of the hearth 104. There can be as many as 12 to 40 of these nozzles in a large furnace. The preheated air is then supplied through a bustle pipe, a large-diameter pipe that surrounds the electric furnace. The preheated air reacts violently with the preheated coke, resulting in very high temperatures of about 1,650 °C (about 3,000 °F), which produces liquid iron and slag, as well as reducing gases such as carbon monoxide that rise through the electric furnace.

[0005] Referring to Figure 1, the bosch is the hottest part of the furnace because it is close to the reaction between air and coke. Molten iron accumulates in the hearth 104, which has a taphole for withdrawing the molten iron and, at a higher level, a slag hole for removing the impurities and flux mixture. The hearth 104 and bosch are thick-walled structures that can be made of carbon-type refractory blocks, while the stack can be made of high-quality fireclay bricks (also known as firebricks) to protect the furnace shell. To prevent these refractories from burning out, plates, staves, or sprays for circulating cooling water can be incorporated into them.

[0006] The stack is kept full with alternating layers of coke, ore, and limestone entering at the top during continuous operation. The coke is ignited at the bottom and rapidly burned with forced air from the tuyere. Iron oxide in the ore is chemically reduced to molten iron by carbon and carbon monoxide from the coke. The slag that forms consists of limestone flux, ash from the coke, and material formed by the reaction of the flux with impurities in the ore. The slag floats in a molten state on top of the molten iron. Hot gases rise from the combustion zone, heating fresh material in the stack and then exiting through a duct near the top of the furnace. Summary of the Invention

[0007] This patent document discloses an apparatus, system, and method for inspecting a volume of interest within equipment, such as a volume of interest within a blast furnace. The disclosed technology can overcome at least some of the shortcomings of current technologies for monitoring blast furnaces by using multiple detectors positioned next to the blast furnace to measure naturally occurring charged particles, such as muons and electrons, passing through the blast furnace, thereby enabling images of the internal structure within the blast furnace and / or the external structure of the blast furnace to be obtained. The technology presented in this patent document can measure multiple Coulomb scattering and attenuation of charged particles traversing the volume of interest, and / or can measure the scattering angle and attenuation of charged particles traversing the volume of interest, thereby determining the material and density of the volume of interest (e.g., within the blast furnace) and / or determining the health of the blast furnace.

[0008] An exemplary method for imaging a blast furnace includes: performing a first movement operation by moving a first particle tracking detector and a second particle tracking detector up and down along the height of the blast furnace, wherein a position of the first particle tracking detector adjacent to a side of the blast furnace is higher than a position of the second particle tracking detector; performing a second movement operation by moving the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector clockwise or counterclockwise around the blast furnace; after the first movement operation and the second movement operation are performed: receiving incident charged particles by the first particle tracking detector; receiving outgoing charged particles passing through the blast furnace by the second particle tracking detector; generating an image of a volume of interest located between the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector by processing electrical signals corresponding to the received incident and outgoing charged particles.

[0009] In some embodiments, the method includes the steps of: performing up and down movements of the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector simultaneously or in unison; performing up and down movements of the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector while keeping the position of the first particle tracking detector the same relative to the position of the second particle tracking detector.

[0010] In some embodiments, the particle measurement device comprises: a first particle tracking detector positioned adjacent to the blast furnace to receive incident charged particles, the first particle tracking detector configured to measure a position and a direction of the received incident charged particles; a second particle tracking detector positioned adjacent to the blast furnace to receive the outgoing charged particles after passing through the blast furnace and to measure a position and a direction of the received outgoing charged particles; the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector are movably coupled to a mechanical support structure, the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector being movable up or down along a height of the blast furnace and the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector being movable clockwise or counterclockwise around the blast furnace, the position of the first particle tracking detector adjacent a side of the blast furnace being higher than the position of the second particle tracking detector; the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector being configured to generate electrical signals corresponding to the received incident and outgoing charged particles, respectively, which, when received and processed by a processor, enable construction of an image of a volume of interest located between the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector.

[0011] In some embodiments, the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector include a first side and a second side facing the blast furnace, respectively, and the surface area of ​​the first side or the second side is selected based on the distance between the outer periphery of the blast furnace and the first particle tracking detector or the second particle tracking detector. In some embodiments, the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector are movable up and down simultaneously or in unison along the height of the blast furnace. In some embodiments, the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector are movable up and down along the height of the blast furnace, and the position of the first particle tracking detector relative to the position of the second particle tracking detector remains the same. In some embodiments, a first movable assembly including the first particle tracking detector and the third particle tracking detector is positioned adjacent to the blast furnace, and a gap separates the first particle tracking detector and the third particle tracking detector vertically along the height of the blast furnace.

[0012] In some embodiments, the first particle tracking detector is movable relative to the third particle tracking detector, thereby adjusting the gap between the first particle tracking detector and the third particle tracking detector. In some embodiments, the first particle tracking detector, the second particle tracking detector, and the at least one additional particle tracking detector are arranged around the blast furnace, and the at least one additional particle tracking detector is movably coupled to a mechanical support structure, and at least a portion of the height of the blast furnace overlaps with the height of the first particle tracking detector, the second particle tracking detector, and the at least one additional particle tracking detector. In some embodiments, the first particle tracking detector, the second particle tracking detector, and the at least one additional particle tracking detector form a geometric pattern around the blast furnace. In some embodiments, each of the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector is enclosed in a housing, and the housing has an air conditioning device configured to control the temperature and humidity inside.

[0013] In some embodiments, the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector are positioned adjacent to a fan or air conditioning device configured to blow air over the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector. In some embodiments, the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector are positioned a predetermined distance away from the periphery of the blast furnace. In some embodiments, the particle measurement device includes a processor and a memory having stored instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate an image based on processed information associated with the received electrical signals. In some embodiments, the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate an image including an estimate of the atomic number and density spatial map of the volume of interest.

[0014] In some embodiments, the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to generate a three-dimensional image of the contents within a blast furnace, including a coagulation zone where metal objects melt within the blast furnace or a deadman's zone where coke is trapped within the blast furnace. In some embodiments, the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to generate a notification of whether a crack or seam is present in the hearth of the blast furnace within the image. In some embodiments, the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to generate a notification of whether a crack is present in the exterior wall of the blast furnace within the image. In some embodiments, the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to generate a sub-volume within the image, the sub-volume associated with a predetermined region within the blast furnace, the predetermined region associated with a first imaging precision, and a time to generate the sub-volume of the image is longer than a time to generate another sub-volume corresponding to another region within the blast furnace associated with a second imaging precision lower than the first imaging precision. In some embodiments, the particle measuring device includes a processor and a memory having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to send commands to one or more motors associated with the mechanical support structure, causing the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector to move up or down and clockwise or counterclockwise. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] An example of a blast furnace to be inspected is shown below.

[0016] [Figure 2] 1 illustrates an exemplary system for facilitating inspection of a blast furnace.

[0017] [Figure 3] 1 shows an exemplary mechanical support structure disposed around an object under test, the mechanical support structure including a detector (also known as a sensing unit or SuperModule).

[0018] [Figure 4] An example of the vertical detector arrangement as seen from the side of the blast furnace is shown.

[0019] [Figure 5] 1 shows an exemplary design of a detector.

[0020] [Figure 6] 1 shows a top view of an exemplary configuration of detectors arranged around an object to be inspected, such as a blast furnace;

[0021] [Figure 7] FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of a computer communicatively coupled to two or more detectors.

[0022] [Figure 8] 1 is a flow chart for operating a particle tracking detector around an object under inspection, such as a blast furnace. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] FIG. 1 shows an example of a blast furnace. By monitoring the combustion process within the blast furnace 100 and furnace structure, the following can be accomplished: monitoring the shape and location of the agglomeration zone (or agglomeration zones) where iron ore begins to soften and melt; monitoring the shape and location of the deadman's zone where coke can become trapped; determining the location and shape of crust on the interior walls of the blast furnace; determining the location and shape of air pockets; and measuring the internal structure (e.g., thickness, cracks, etc.) of the refractory material and hearth. Currently, to some extent, such monitoring can be achieved with high-temperature cameras and infrared (IR) cameras. However, these methods cannot provide a complete picture of the internal structure of the furnace, refractory material, and hearth, which is a long-standing challenge for current blast furnace imaging technology.

[0024] In FIG. 1, the shaft 102 can be filled with alternating layers of coke, ore, and limestone. A slag consisting of limestone flux, ash from the coke, and materials formed by the reaction of the flux with impurities in the ore forms and floats in a molten state on top of the molten iron. Because this process occurs inside the furnace 100, the thickness and location of the layers and iron cannot be determined by conventional methods. Furthermore, as the process continues over time, crusts and other deformations are produced within the shaft 102 that cannot be easily detected and that do not allow assessment of the general structural integrity of the furnace, hearth, and refractory materials. Therefore, the technology described in this patent document can enable imaging of the internal layers and / or structures of the blast furnace 100.

[0025] The disclosed embodiments describe apparatus, systems, and methods that can provide imaging of industrial equipment, such as blast furnaces, using charged particles (also known as cosmic ray particles or high-energy charged particles). The disclosed charged particle detectors and associated mechanical support structures enable inspection of blast furnaces using charged particles, a component of cosmic rays, as probes to provide three-dimensional (3D) mapping of various materials. For example, the disclosed technology can generate 3D images of the interior contents of a blast furnace, including contrasting atomic numbers and / or densities (e.g., coke, iron ore, molten iron, air pockets, agglomeration zones, deadman's zones, etc.), refractory and hearth thickness, indication of the presence of any cracks or seams in the refractory and hearth, and / or indication of the presence of any cracks in the outer wall of the blast furnace, based on charged particles traversing a volume of interest. Thus, the exemplary embodiments described in this patent document can provide a potential solution to a long-standing challenge in blast furnace imaging technology. In some embodiments, the system design and implementation are optimized for imaging blast furnaces, but can be used to image other types of objects as well.

[0026] The use of charged particles has several advantages. One technical benefit of the disclosed technology is that the use of charged particles does not generate artificial radiation (e.g., X-rays), but instead uses naturally occurring high-energy charged particles produced by cosmic ray flux as a probe to image a volume of interest. At the very least, this technical benefit makes the disclosed device safe for any human being, other living organisms, and material objects.

[0027] The disclosed system utilizes information provided by the interaction of high-energy charged particles with sensitive detectors to generate an electrical signal in response to the interaction of the charged particles with the material of the sensitive detector. The high-energy charged particles used by the disclosed system are also known as secondary cosmic rays. These particles are produced in the interaction of primary cosmic rays in the atmosphere. Two components of secondary cosmic rays at sea level are electrons and muons. Other charged particles present in very small amounts in secondary cosmic rays are protons, ions, charged mesons, charged heavy baryons, and tauons. All of these particles can generate an electrical signal when they interact with the material of the sensitive detector. However, due to their small number and relatively low penetration ability, these particles can be ignored during the development and operation of the disclosed system.

[0028] High-energy electrons can generate trajectories in sensitive detectors similar to those generated by muons, but due to their relatively low penetration capability, most electrons are absorbed, with only the most energetic ones able to penetrate highly shielded, high-density inspection objects such as blast furnaces. Given the very high densities and average atomic numbers encountered in blast furnaces, even lower-energy muons are expected to be attenuated. As a result, the attenuation portion of the reconstruction becomes much more important than in lower-density applications such as truck and cargo scanning.

[0029] Positively and negatively charged muons produced in the interaction of primary cosmic rays in the atmosphere provide a sensitive probe for detecting and imaging a variety of materials, including, but not limited to, the contents of blast furnaces. The signal produced in a sensitive detector by the interaction of these muons with the material of the sensitive detector is used in the disclosed system for the above-mentioned purposes.

[0030] When a charged particle passes through a material, it loses energy primarily through interactions with the atomic electrons in the material. This energy loss is roughly proportional to the effective thickness of the electron cloud passing through the material. Because the charge of these atomic electrons is balanced by an equal number of protons in the atomic nucleus, and in most cases the number of protons in the nucleus is roughly equal to the number of neutrons, the traversal thickness of the electron cloud is roughly proportional to the mass density of the material being traversed. Hydrogen atoms are an exception to this, as they have no neutrons in their nuclei; therefore, they have twice the number of electrons per unit mass.

[0031] Detecting and measuring charged particles as they pass through an object of interest has many applications. In one exemplary application, charged particle detection techniques such as those described in this patent document can be used to inspect blast furnaces. Measurement of the scattering angle of cosmic ray muons passing through a blast furnace can be used to measure the layers of material within the blast furnace and determine if there are any anomalies in the furnace itself.

[0032] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary system for facilitating the inspection of a blast furnace 100. The exemplary system includes two detectors 205, 207 (also referred to as detection units or SuperModules) that can be positioned on opposite sides (or opposite sides) of the blast furnace 100. The detectors 205, 207 are coupled to movable assemblies 202a, 202b. In the exemplary embodiment, the detectors have a substantially square cross-section and a four-foot-long drift tube. As shown in FIGS. 3-4, the first detector 205 can detect incident charged particles 301, including muons, passing from the first detector 205 through the blast furnace 100. The incident charged particles 301 further pass through the second detector 207, which can detect the exiting charged particles 301. While two detectors are shown in FIG. 2, more detectors can be used and arranged in various configurations. For example, FIG. 6 illustrates detectors 500 arranged around the inspection target 100.

[0033] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary detector 500 including a drift tube 502. The drift tube can detect charged particles passing through it. The drift tube provides reliable and inexpensive coverage to measure the position of charged particles interacting with a gas within it. In some embodiments of the device, the drift tube is sealed and filled with a non-flammable gas as a safety precaution for operation in the presence of high-temperature manufacturing processes. Other charged particle detector technologies, such as scintillating fibers, volumetric scintillators, resistive plate chambers, or cathode strip chambers, can be used in place of or in conjunction with the drift tube as part of an inspection system.

[0034] In some embodiments of drift tube-based systems, the drift tubes can be integrated into a drift tube module. The tubes within a module may be glued together or mechanically integrated by other means. Tubes integrated within a module are connected to the same electronic unit. In some embodiments, a single module contains 24 drift tubes arranged in two layers, with 12 drift tubes in each layer.

[0035] In some embodiments of drift tube-based systems, drift tube modules can be mechanically integrated with the detector. In some embodiments, the detector can include 12 drift tube modules, with six drift tubes oriented along the X direction and six drift tubes oriented along the Y direction, perpendicular to X. In each direction, three layers of modules are separated by vertically oriented modules. Each module can be structurally identical, and all modules can be interchangeable. The modules within the detector do not need to be permanently fixed and can be separated and reintegrated without severing any of the modules or any connections between modules. In some embodiments, the detector can include 12 layers of drift tubes (6 in each direction), with 24 tubes in each layer. The detector in this example can include 288 tubes and 12 electronic units. The electronic units are typically connected to each other via a hub to reduce the number of external cable connections for the detector. The disclosed and other embodiments can be implemented when the angle between the crisscrossing drift tube modules is not exactly 90 degrees, when there are not exactly three layers, or when more than one detection device (e.g., drift tubes and scintillation fibers) are used. For example, an embodiment in which there is an angular interval of 0 to 90 degrees between the longitudinal directions of the two crossed arrays of submodules can provide better coverage per unit cost. The detectors can be arranged in any advantageous manner so that there are any number of layers of one or more detectors aligned in one direction and any number of layers of one or more detectors aligned in a different direction with an angular interval between 0 and 90 degrees. The disclosed and other embodiments can be implemented so that one detector, such as a drift tube, is aligned vertically and another detector, such as a volume scintillator, is positioned around the circumference of the vertical detector. Other charged particle detectors can further include silicon wafer, thin gap chamber (TGC), and thick gas electron multiplier (THGEM) detectors.

[0036] 2-3 , the first particle tracking detector 205 is positioned to receive incident charged particles 301 passing through the blast furnace 100. The detectors 205, 207 can, for example, measure the position and direction of the charged particles 301 passing through the blast furnace while allowing the charged particles 301 to pass through. The detectors can be positioned as close to the blast furnace as possible while minimizing interference with any external structures adjacent to the blast furnace and while maintaining the operating temperatures of the detectors 205, 207 within a predetermined acceptable range. The detectors can be positioned closer or farther from the blast furnace 100. However, the farther the detectors 205, 207 are from the blast furnace 100, the larger the detector surface area will be imaged for the same internal volume of the blast furnace. Thus, in some embodiments, the surface area of ​​the side of the detectors 205, 207 facing the blast furnace 100 is based on or a function of the distance between the detectors 205, 207 and the outer periphery of the blast furnace 100.

[0037] 2-4, the second particle tracking detector 207 can be positioned lower relative to the first particle tracking detector 205 and on the opposite side of the first particle tracking detector 205 relative to a volume of interest, such as a blast furnace 100 containing molten iron and other materials (not an electric furnace). The second particle tracking detector 207 is positioned to receive at least a portion of the exiting charged particles 301 that pass through the first particle tracking detector 205 and through the blast furnace 100 and the materials therein, and to measure the position and direction of these exiting charged particles 301 as they pass through the second detector 207.

[0038] The mounting height of the detectors on the mechanical support structure can be selected based on modeling of the incoming cosmic ray muon flux and the inspection requirements. Charged particles are further identified within each module based on two indicators of particle track. The mounting height can be adjusted for each detector 205, 207. This height can be optimized for the system and / or the specific inspection target. Optimization can be based on modeling of the cosmic ray flux directional distribution with respect to the size and zenith angle of the inspection target.

[0039] In FIG. 2 , the up and down arrows next to the blast furnace 100 indicate that the detectors 205, 207 can move up and down along the height of the blast furnace 100 using motors coupled to the detectors 205, 207, which are coupled to a mechanical support structure (shown as 304 in FIG. 3 ). The mechanical support structure 304 can also have two or more movable assemblies that provide mobility and support for the two detectors 205, 207, which are installed in a vertical orientation above each other with a gap. For example, one movable assembly with a detector can be located at the top of the mechanical support structure, and another movable assembly with another detector can be located in a bottom region of the mechanical support structure with a gap between the two movable assemblies. In some embodiments, a first mechanical support structure assembly can include the first detector 205, and a second mechanical support structure can include the second detector 207 as shown in FIG. 3 . The term movable assembly can also be referred to as a mobile platform. In some embodiments, the detectors 205, 207 are moved up and down in unison (or simultaneously) via motors, such that the position of one detector 205 relative to the position of another detector 207 is the same as the detectors 205, 207 are moved up and down to different positions along the height of the blast furnace. In some embodiments, the vertical distance between one detector 205 and another detector 207 is predetermined. In FIG. 2, the arrows pointing left and right indicate that the detectors 205, 207 can be moved around the blast furnace 100 to measure the position and direction of charged particles in multiple regions of the blast furnace 100. The mechanical support structure 304 can be coupled to another motor (indicated by the left and right arrows at the bottom of FIGS. 2-3) that can rotate or move the mechanical support structure 304 clockwise or counterclockwise around the blast furnace 100.

[0040] The detectors 205, 207 can be mounted on a mechanical support structure 304, as shown by one example in FIG. 3, to enable inspection and imaging of the volume of interest. Each mechanical support structure can include two vertically mounted detectors, one at the top and one at the bottom, with a gap separating them vertically. The mechanical support structure can allow the detectors to move horizontally and vertically around the blast furnace. In some embodiments, the minimum number of movable assemblies can be two, which can be mounted on either side of the inspection target. In some embodiments, the movable assemblies can be mounted around the inspection target in a regular pattern forming a regular geometric shape (e.g., a triangle, square, pentagon, or hexagon), allowing the detectors to form a geometric shape (top-down view as shown in FIG. 6). The movable assemblies can be fixed in place to avoid further movement during data collection when charged particles are being detected by at least two detectors.

[0041] Other mechanical elements associated with the movable assemblies may include rigid metal bars interconnecting the movable assemblies to improve the geometric rigidity of the system, and / or the movable assemblies may be further arranged in a regular geometric pattern around the inspection object. In an exemplary embodiment, the movable assemblies may be connected together after being positioned using rigid metal bars to enable geometric rigidity of the system during data collection. Other mechanical elements may further include a portable canopy or plastic enclosure over or around the movable assemblies and / or detectors to provide protection against extreme weather, such as snow, high winds, and / or direct sunlight. The mounting height of the upper detector within the movable assembly may further be mechanically adjustable. The size of the gap between two detectors within the same movable assembly may also be mechanically adjustable.

[0042] The height of both detectors on the moving platform can be varied, and the size of the gap separating the detectors on one moving platform can also be varied. The gap between the detectors can be 4 feet vertically, and the entire moving assembly can be 12 feet or more tall. These numbers relating to dimensions or gaps are examples and can be varied in different embodiments. The detectors can enable inspection and imaging of the volume of interest 100 without moving the object being inspected (e.g., a blast furnace) within the volume of interest.

[0043] The detectors 205, 207 can be repositioned around the blast furnace 100. As shown in Figure 3, the mechanical support structure 304 can maintain both the first particle tracking detector 205 and the second particle tracking detector 207 in a position where these units can function. Additionally, as indicated by the up and down arrows in Figure 2 and the left and right arrows in Figures 2-3, the detectors 205, 207 can be positioned (or moved) up and down on the mechanical support structure 304 and / or rotated around the blast furnace 100 to allow different areas of the blast furnace 100 to be inspected.

[0044] The system disclosed in this patent can include different numbers of moveable assemblies and associated detectors depending on the size of the inspection object 100 (e.g., a blast furnace) and the inspection requirements, as shown for different detector configurations in Figure 6. In some embodiments, the minimum number of moveable assemblies is two, which can be located on either side of the inspection object.

[0045] 2-4, the blast furnace 100 can generate a significant amount of heat. The two or more detectors 205, 207 can facilitate proper operation of the system components by having drift tubes and associated electronics and cabling that require environmental control to maintain the temperatures of the two or more detectors 205, 207 within acceptable ranges. Depending on the specific configuration of structures adjacent to the blast furnace and prevailing environmental factors such as ambient temperature ranges and humidity, the specific environmental control for maintaining the operating temperatures of the two or more detectors 205, 207 within acceptable ranges can be tailored to each site where the blast furnace is located. In some embodiments, the specific environmental control for the two or more detectors 205, 207 includes completely enclosing each detector within an environmental containment vessel (e.g., in a housing) where the temperature and humidity are directly controlled by air conditioning equipment coupled to the containment vessel. In some other embodiments, the specific environmental control for the two or more detectors 205, 207 includes employing passive cooling techniques, such as detectors with an open design with a portable air conditioning unit positioned adjacent to the detector to air-cool the detector. In some embodiments, the particular environmental control for the two or more detectors 205, 207 may include using a ventilation fan coupled to the detector to cool the detector. In some embodiments, the detectors 205, 207 may not require environmental control because the two or more detectors 205, 207 are positioned a safe distance (e.g., a predetermined distance) from the periphery of the blast furnace 100 so that heat radiating from the blast furnace 100 does not damage the two or more detectors 205, 207 or the temperature of the two or more detectors 205, 207 does not exceed a predetermined upper operating temperature.

[0046] A computer including a processor (shown as 704 in FIG. 7 ) can be communicatively coupled to both the first particle tracking detector 205 and the second particle tracking detector 207, thereby enabling a scan module (shown as 710 in FIG. 7 ) to measure individual charged particle tracks based on charged particles entering the first particle tracking detector 205 and exiting the second particle tracking detector 207 to obtain an estimate of a spatial map of atomic number and density of a volume of interest within the blast furnace. The scan module can generate the estimate of the spatial map based on electrical signals associated with the detection of charged particles sent by the detectors 205, 207. The first indicator is based on timing coincidence of the signals within a coincidence window. The coincidence window size can be further set independently for each module in the firmware of each associated electronic unit. The coincidence window size can be further optimized based on the timing characteristics of the sensitive detector within the module and the ambient radiation field at the location of the module placement. The second indicator is further based on the location of the selected sensitive detector. The second indicator can be further optimized based on the location of the selected sensitive detector within the module and the relative location of the module with respect to the inspection object.

[0047] In some embodiments, based on processing electrical signals associated with charged particles entering and / or exiting the detectors 205, 207 (e.g., the location and direction of the charged particles), the scanning module 710 can generate 3D images of: the internal materials of the blast furnace, including contrasting atomic numbers and densities (e.g., coke, iron ore, molten iron, air pockets, agglomeration zones, deadman's zones, etc.); the thickness of the refractory and hearth; an indication of the presence of any cracks or seams in the refractory and hearth; and / or an indication of the presence of any cracks in the outer wall of the blast furnace. The detectors 205, 207 can continuously measure the incoming and outgoing high-energy charged particles. A reconstruction algorithm operated by the scanning module 710 can integrate signals from the detectors 205, 207 over a configurable period of time to provide an image that is a 3D image of the contents of the blast furnace. Regardless of the location and number of detectors, the system can provide an image of a portion of the blast furnace area within the limited radiation between all detector pairs or the entire blast furnace at any time. In some embodiments, the two or more detectors 205, 207 may be designed to have a size that allows them to measure the incoming and outgoing energetic charged particles throughout most or all of the blast furnace.

[0048] Different regions within the blast furnace may require different time integration periods to form a useful image of that particular region. For example, some regions of the blast furnace (e.g., the upper region of the blast furnace) may require less precision or may be more dynamic and require a shorter integration time for meaningful analysis. Other regions of the blast furnace (e.g., the agglomeration zone, the deadman's zone, the exterior of the blast furnace) may require more precision or may be more static and allow for a longer integration time. In this context, the scanning module 710 of the computer communicatively coupled to the detectors 205, 207 can create or generate sub-volumes of reconstructed images at different positions at different integration times to meet these specific needs. The scanning module 710 can generate sub-volumes by analyzing high-energy charged particles entering and exiting through regions requiring higher precision, and the locations of such regions can be predefined. In some embodiments, the entire blast furnace image is available at all times because at least the detectors 205, 207 can continuously measure the high-energy charged particles entering and exiting the blast furnace at all times.

[0049] The method of data processing performed by the scan module 710 can further include filtering signals that are not identified as belonging to a charged particle track. In some embodiments, the scan module 710 can use a filter on the charged particle track to optimize resolution in a particular direction or in a desired or specific region.

[0050] In some embodiments, the scan module 710 may send commands to one or more motors associated with the mechanical support structure to cause one or more moveable assemblies to move the detector up and down and / or cause the mechanical support structure to move the detector in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction around the blast furnace 100.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 6, the number of detectors and associated movable assemblies in the system can be selected based on the size of the test object and other inspection requirements. The movable assemblies can be arranged or positioned around the test object 100 before data collection begins. The relative positions of the detectors to each other can be determined by a process of mechanical interrogation to provide coarse adjustment, followed by geometric calibration based on measurements of charged particle tracks to provide fine adjustment. The geometric calibration can be based on collected measurements of incoming and outgoing particle tracks.

[0052] In embodiments of drift tube-based detectors, improved measurement of particle tracks can be achieved by calibration of the time-radius transformation function based on collected data. The calibration is performed iteratively during the data collection process. Thus, iterative calibration of the time-radius response function can be performed for each drift tube detector in the system. The calibration is performed during the data collection process, and the results are used in imaging the object. In other embodiments, support subsystems for reliable operation of the above-mentioned subsystems may be included.

[0053] FIG. 7 shows a block diagram of a computer communicatively coupled to two or more detectors. The computer comprises a memory 702 and one or more processors 704. The memory 702 includes processor-executable instructions stored therein. The processor-executable instructions, when executed by the one or more processors 704, configure the computer by performing operations associated with a scanning module 710, as described herein. In some embodiments, the computer may be one or more computers or one or more servers. The computer may include a transmitter 706 for transmitting information, such as a 3D image, to another computer. The computer may include a receiver 708 for receiving measurement information from the two or more detectors, the measurement information being indicative of high-energy charged particles detected by the two or more detectors.

[0054] 8 is a flowchart for operating particle tracking detectors around an inspected object, such as a blast furnace. Operation 802 includes performing a first movement operation by moving a first particle tracking detector and a second particle tracking detector up and down along the height of the blast furnace, with the first particle tracking detector positioned adjacent a side of the blast furnace at a higher position than the second particle tracking detector. Operation 804 includes performing a second movement operation by moving the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector clockwise or counterclockwise around the blast furnace.

[0055] After operations 802 and 804 are performed, operations 806-810 are performed. Operation 806 includes receiving incident charged particles by a first particle tracking detector. Operation 808 includes receiving outgoing charged particles passing through the blast furnace by a second particle tracking detector. Operation 810 includes generating an image of a volume of interest located between the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector by processing electrical signals corresponding to the received incident and outgoing charged particles. In some embodiments, the operations described in FIG. 8 are performed or directed to be performed by a scan module (shown as 710 in FIG. 7). For example, the scanning module may send instructions to move the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector (e.g., up / down and / or clockwise / counterclockwise); the scanning module may receive electrical signals indicating that the first and / or second particle tracking detectors have detected incident and outgoing charged particles, respectively; and / or the scanning module may create or generate an image of the volume of interest based on the received electrical signals corresponding to the incident and outgoing charged particles.

[0056] In some embodiments, the method includes the steps of: moving the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector up and down simultaneously or in unison; moving the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector up and down while keeping the position of the first particle tracking detector the same relative to the position of the second particle tracking detector.

[0057] In some embodiments, the particle measurement device comprises: a first particle tracking detector positioned adjacent to the blast furnace to receive incident charged particles and configured to measure a position and a direction of the incident charged particles; a second particle tracking detector positioned adjacent to the blast furnace to receive outgoing charged particles that have passed through the blast furnace and configured to measure a position and a direction of the received outgoing charged particles; the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector are movably coupled to a mechanical support structure, the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector are movable up or down along a height of the blast furnace and the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector are movable clockwise or counterclockwise around the blast furnace, a position of the first particle tracking detector adjacent a side of the blast furnace is higher than a position of the second particle tracking detector adjacent a side of the blast furnace, and the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector are configured to generate electrical signals corresponding to the received incident and outgoing charged particles, respectively, which, when received and processed by a processor, enable construction of an image of a volume of interest located between the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector.

[0058] In some embodiments, the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector include a first side and a second side facing the blast furnace, respectively, and the surface area of ​​the first side or the second side is selected based on the distance between the outer periphery of the blast furnace and the first particle tracking detector or the second particle tracking detector. In some embodiments, the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector are movable up and down simultaneously or in unison along the height of the blast furnace. In some embodiments, the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector are movable up and down along the height of the blast furnace, while the position of the first particle tracking detector relative to the position of the second particle tracking detector remains the same. In some embodiments, a first movable assembly including the first particle tracking detector and the third particle tracking detector is positioned adjacent to the blast furnace, and a gap separates the first particle tracking detector and the third particle tracking detector vertically along the height of the blast furnace.

[0059] In some embodiments, the first particle tracking detector is movable relative to the third particle tracking detector such that a gap between the first particle tracking detector and the third particle tracking detector is adjustable. In some embodiments, the first particle tracking detector, the second particle tracking detector, and the at least one additional particle tracking detector are arranged around the blast furnace, and the at least one additional particle tracking detector is movably coupled to a mechanical support structure, such that at least a portion of the height of the blast furnace overlaps with the height of the first particle tracking detector, the second particle tracking detector, and the at least one additional particle tracking detector. In some embodiments, the first particle tracking detector, the second particle tracking detector, and the at least one additional particle tracking detector form a geometric pattern around the blast furnace. In some embodiments, each of the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector is enclosed in a housing having an air conditioning device configured to control the temperature and humidity within the housing.

[0060] In some embodiments, the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector are positioned adjacent to a fan or air conditioning device configured to blow air over the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector. In some embodiments, the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector are positioned a predetermined distance away from the periphery of the blast furnace. In some embodiments, the particle measurement device includes a processor and a memory having stored instructions, which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate an image based on processed information associated with the received electrical signals. In some embodiments, the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate an image including an estimate of a spatial map of atomic number and density of the volume of interest.

[0061] In some embodiments, the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to generate a three-dimensional image of the contents within a blast furnace, including a coagulation zone where metal objects melt within the blast furnace or a deadman's zone where coke is trapped within the blast furnace. In some embodiments, the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to generate a notification of whether a crack or seam is present in the hearth of the blast furnace within the image. In some embodiments, the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to generate a notification of whether a crack is present in the exterior wall of the blast furnace within the image. In some embodiments, the instructions, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to generate a sub-volume within the image, the sub-volume associated with a predetermined region within the blast furnace, the predetermined region associated with a first imaging precision, and a time to generate the sub-volume of the image is longer than a time to generate another sub-volume associated with another region within the blast furnace associated with a second imaging precision lower than the first imaging precision. In some embodiments, the particle measuring device includes a processor and a memory having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to send commands to one or more motors associated with a mechanical support structure, the commands causing the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector to move up or down and clockwise or counterclockwise.

[0062] The disclosed and other embodiments and functional operations described herein may be implemented in digital electronic circuitry, or computer software, firmware, or hardware, including the structures disclosed herein and their structural equivalents, or a combination of one or more of these. The disclosed and other embodiments may be implemented as one or more computer program products, i.e., one or more modules of computer program instructions encoded on a computer-readable medium for execution by or to control the operation of a data processing apparatus. The computer-readable medium may be a machine-readable storage device, a machine-readable storage substrate, a memory device, a composition of matter that provides a machine-readable propagated signal, or one or more combinations thereof. The term "data processing apparatus" encompasses all apparatuses, devices, and machines for processing data, including, by way of example, a programmable processor, a computer, or multiple processors or computers. In addition to hardware, an apparatus may include code that creates an execution environment for the computer program in question, such as code constituting processor firmware, a protocol stack, a database management system, an operating system, or one or more combinations thereof. A propagated signal is an artificially generated signal, such as a machine-generated electrical, optical, or electromagnetic signal generated to encode information for transmission to an appropriate receiver apparatus.

[0063] A computer program (also known as a program, software, software application, script, or code) can be written in any form of programming language, including compiled or interpreted languages, and can be deployed in any form, including as a stand-alone program or as a module, component, subroutine, or other unit suitable for use in a computing environment. A computer program does not necessarily correspond to a file in a file system. A program can be stored as part of a file that holds other programs or data (e.g., one or more scripts stored in a markup language document), in a single file dedicated to the program in question, or in multiple cooperating files (e.g., files that store one or more modules, subprograms, or portions of code). A computer program can be deployed to be executed on one computer or on multiple computers located at one site or distributed across multiple sites and interconnected by a communications network.

[0064] The processes and logic flows described herein may be performed by one or more programmable processors executing one or more computer programs to perform functions by operating on input data and generating output. The processes and logic flows may also be performed by, and an apparatus may be implemented as, special purpose logic circuitry, such as an FPGA (field programmable gate array) or an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit).

[0065] Processors suitable for executing a computer program include, by way of example, both general-purpose and special-purpose microprocessors, and any one or more processors of any kind of digital computer. Typically, a processor receives instructions and data from a read-only memory or a random-access memory, or both. The essential elements of a computer are a processor for executing instructions and one or more memory devices for storing instructions and data. Typically, a computer also includes one or more mass storage devices for storing data, such as magnetic, magneto-optical, or optical disks, or is operatively coupled to receive data from or transfer data to them. However, a computer need not have such devices. Computer-readable media suitable for storing computer program instructions and data include, by way of example, all forms of non-volatile memory, media, and memory devices, including semiconductor memory devices, e.g., EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory devices, magnetic disks, e.g., internal hard disks or removable disks, magneto-optical disks, and CD-ROM and DVD-ROM disks. The processor and memory may be supplemented by, or incorporated in, special-purpose logic circuitry.

[0066] While this patent document contains many details, these should not be construed as limiting the scope of the invention or the claims, but rather as descriptions of features specific to particular embodiments of a particular invention. Certain features described in this patent document in the context of separate embodiments can also be implemented in combination in a single embodiment. Conversely, various features described in the context of a single embodiment can also be implemented in multiple embodiments separately or in any suitable subcombination. Furthermore, although features may be described above as acting in particular combinations, even as initially claimed, one or more features from a claimed combination can in some cases be carved out of the combination, and the claimed combination can be directed to subcombinations or variations of the subcombination.

[0067] Similarly, although operations are depicted in the figures in a particular order, this should not be understood as requiring such operations to be performed in the particular order shown, or in any sequential order, or that all of the illustrated operations be performed, to achieve desired results. Furthermore, the separation of various system components in the embodiments described in this patent document should not be understood as requiring such separation in all embodiments.

[0068] Only some implementations and examples are described; other implementations, extensions, and variations can be made based on what is described and illustrated in this patent document.

Claims

1. A particle measurement device, comprising: a first particle tracking detector disposed adjacent to the blast furnace to receive incident charged particles, the first particle tracking detector configured to measure a position and a direction of the incident charged particles; a second particle tracking detector disposed adjacent to the blast furnace to receive the exiting charged particles after passing through the blast furnace and to measure the position and direction of the received exiting charged particles; Equipped with the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector are movably coupled to a mechanical support structure; the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector are movable up and down along the height of the blast furnace; the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector are movable clockwise or counterclockwise around the blast furnace; a position of the first particle tracking detector adjacent to a side surface of the blast furnace is higher than a position of the second particle tracking detector adjacent to a side surface of the blast furnace; the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector are configured to generate electrical signals corresponding to the received incoming charged particles and the outgoing charged particles, respectively, which, when received and processed by a processor, enable construction of an image of a volume of interest located between the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector; the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector are movable up and down along the height of the blast furnace while maintaining the same position of the first particle tracking detector relative to the position of the second particle tracking detector; Particle measuring device.

2. the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector have first and second sides facing the blast furnace, respectively; The surface area of ​​the first side surface or the surface area of ​​the second side surface is selected based on the distance between the outer periphery of the blast furnace and the first particle tracking detector or the second particle tracking detector. The particle measuring device according to claim 1.

3. 2. The particle measurement device of claim 1, wherein the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector are movable up and down simultaneously or in unison along the height of the blast furnace.

4. 10. The particle measuring device of claim 1, further comprising a processor and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate the image based on processed information associated with the received electrical signals.

5. The particle measurement device of claim 4 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate the image including an estimate of a spatial map of atomic number and density of the volume of interest.

6. 5. The particle measuring device for an electric furnace of claim 4, wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate a three-dimensional image of the contents within the blast furnace, including a coagulation zone where metal objects melt within the blast furnace or a deadman's zone where coke accumulates within the blast furnace.

7. The particle measurement device of claim 4 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate a notification of whether a crack or seam in a hearth of the blast furnace is present in the image.

8. The particle measurement device of claim 4 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate a notification of whether a crack is present in the outer wall of the blast furnace in the image.

9. The instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate a sub-volume within the image; the sub-volume is associated with a predetermined region within the blast furnace; the predetermined region is associated with a first imaging accuracy; a time to generate the sub-volume of the image is longer than a time to generate another sub-volume associated with another region within the blast furnace associated with a second imaging precision that is lower than the first imaging precision; 5. The particle measuring device according to claim 4.

10. 1. A method for imaging a blast furnace, comprising: performing a first moving operation by moving a first particle tracking detector and a second particle tracking detector up and down along the height of the blast furnace, wherein a position of the first particle tracking detector adjacent to a side of the blast furnace is higher than a position of the second particle tracking detector, and the up and down movements of the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector are performed simultaneously or in unison, and the up and down movements of the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector are performed while keeping the position of the first particle tracking detector relative to the position of the second particle tracking detector the same; performing a second moving operation by moving the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector clockwise or counterclockwise around the blast furnace; After the first movement operation and the second movement operation: receiving incident charged particles with the first particle tracking detector; receiving, with the second particle tracking detector, exiting charged particles passing through the blast furnace; generating an image of a volume of interest located between the first particle tracking detector and the second particle tracking detector by processing received electrical signals corresponding to the incoming charged particles and the outgoing charged particles; A method having the following.

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