Hot-Rolled Steel Temperature Control Across Induction Heating Stages

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing systems for hot-rolled steel plants do not accurately determine temperature distribution inside steel materials when they arrive at the delivery side of induction heating apparatuses, leading to inconsistent temperature variations before finishing mills.

Innovation Solution

A system with extraction, entry-side, and delivery-side temperature computation units using finite difference or finite element methods to compute and adjust temperature distributions based on data from thermocouples, ensuring accurate temperature assessment and uniformity at the induction heating apparatus.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Measurement precision

If temperature distribution is not computed at multiple stages (extraction, entry-side, delivery-side), then the system is simpler, but temperature variations inside the steel material cannot be accurately reduced before arriving at the finishing mill

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetemperature distribution accuracyVSAvoidcomputation system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The temperature computation process is segmented into three distinct computation units: extraction temperature computation unit, entry-side temperature computation unit, and delivery-side temperature computation unit. Each unit computes temperature distribution at a specific stage, allowing detailed monitoring without requiring a single complex comprehensive system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The extraction temperature computation unit computes temperature distribution in advance when the steel material is extracted from the heating furnace. This preliminary computation provides initial data that is then used by subsequent computation units, enabling proactive temperature management rather than reactive adjustments.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Reliability

If induction heating settings are made without accurate temperature distribution data, then the control process is faster, but temperature variations inside the steel material are not reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetemperature uniformityVSAvoidcomputation time
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The three computation units operate continuously and sequentially throughout the steel material processing journey. The extraction temperature computation unit starts computing when material is extracted, the entry-side unit computes when it arrives at the induction heating apparatus entry, and the delivery-side unit computes at the delivery side, ensuring continuous temperature monitoring without interruptions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Solution Approach 2:

Temperature distribution is computed in advance at each stage, allowing induction heating settings to be made based on predicted temperature distributions before the steel material actually arrives at each location, enabling proactive rather than reactive control.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Manufacturing precision

If detailed temperature distribution computation is implemented at all stages, then temperature variations are accurately reduced, but the system complexity and computational requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvetemperature control precisionVSAvoidcontrol system complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The control system is divided into three specialized computation units, each handling temperature computation for a specific stage and location. This segmentation allows each unit to be optimized for its specific function rather than requiring a single monolithic complex system to handle all computations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

Each computation unit is tailored to compute temperature distribution characteristics specific to its stage: the extraction unit focuses on initial temperature distribution from the heating furnace, the entry-side unit focuses on temperature at the induction heating apparatus entry, and the delivery-side unit focuses on final temperature distribution. This local specialization improves precision without requiring uniform complexity throughout the entire system.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #3Local quality

Data Source

PatentEP3345688B1System for controlling hot-rolled steel plant
Publication Date: 2022.12.14 TOSHIBA MITSUBISHI ELECTRIC IND SYST CORP
  • EP3345688B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3345688B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3345688B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

Provided is a system for controlling a hot-rolled steel plant capable of accurately ascertaining temperature distribution inside a steel plate when a steel material arrives at a delivery side of an induction heating apparatus. A system for controlling a hot-rolled steel plant is provided with: an extraction temperature computation unit for computing the temperature distribution inside the steel material when the steel material is extracted from a heating furnace; an entry-side temperature computation unit for computing, on the basis of the temperature distribution inside the steel material computed by the extraction temperature computation unit, the temperature distribution inside the steel material when the steel material arrives at an entry side of the induction heating apparatus disposed on a delivery side of the heating furnace; and a delivery-side temperature computation unit for computing, on the basis of the temperature distribution inside the steel material computed by the entry-side temperature computation unit, the temperature distribution inside the steel material when the steel material arrives at a delivery side of the induction heating apparatus.