JP7501492B2 - Apparatus and method for inspecting inside a vertical annealing furnace - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for inspecting the inside of a vertical annealing furnace.

In a steelworks' continuous annealing line, the cold-rolled steel sheet discharged from the payoff reel is welded to the preceding material by a welder and fed into the line, where it is annealed in a vertical annealing furnace, cooled, and wound onto a tension reel.

Inside a vertical annealing furnace, heat sources for heating steel sheets, such as radiant tubes, are arranged vertically. Because high-temperature gas flows through the inside of radiant tubes, regular inspection work is required to check for bends and cracks in the tubes themselves. However, vertical annealing furnaces are generally several tens of meters high, and inspection work must be done at high altitudes, which requires a great deal of time and money, including preparation, inspection, and cleanup.

When workers directly enter the furnace to carry out inspection work, they visually inspect the radiant tubes between the top and bottom of a vertical annealing furnace while wearing a safety rope to check for damage. Because the environment inside the furnace is poor and the burden on workers is heavy, one method of improving work practices is being considered: an inspection method in which a camera is inserted inside the furnace and moved up and down using a lifting device.

For example, Patent Documents 1 and 2 disclose an internal inspection device for a vertical annealing furnace that includes an inspection unit having an omnidirectional camera, an antenna, a lighting device, etc., and a lifting device having a dedicated rope for raising and lowering the inspection unit, a reel for winding up the rope, and a drive device, etc.

Patent No. 5786549 Japanese Patent No. 6624042

However, the above-mentioned conventional technique, which requires setting up a lifting device with a dedicated rope, reel, drive unit, etc. for raising and lowering an inspection unit each time to inspect the inside of the furnace, requires time for preparation. Furthermore, to inspect the large number of radiant tubes arranged inside the furnace, the lifting device must be moved repeatedly, making it difficult to inspect in a short time. It is also necessary to provide an opening at the top of the vertical annealing furnace to pass the inspection unit and the rope of the lifting device through.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above problems, and its purpose is to provide an internal inspection device and an internal inspection method for a vertical annealing furnace that makes it easier to inspect the inside of the furnace.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems and achieve the object, the in-furnace inspection device for a vertical annealing furnace according to the present invention comprises a plate threading rope having a first portion arranged along the plate threading path inside the vertical annealing furnace and a second portion slackened relative to the first portion, an inspection unit detachably attached to the plate threading rope and having an omnidirectional camera, an antenna for transmitting images captured by the omnidirectional camera, and a lighting device, and a terminal device for receiving the images transmitted from the antenna.

It also has a restricting member that restricts the rotation of the inspection unit relative to the plate threading rope.

The inspection unit is also arranged near the omnidirectional camera and has a display device that displays information transmitted from the terminal device or a terminal device other than the terminal device.

The method for inspecting the inside of a vertical annealing furnace according to the present invention is a method for inspecting the inside of a vertical annealing furnace using the above-mentioned furnace inspection device for a vertical annealing furnace, and includes a first step of forming a second part of the plate threading rope that is slackened relative to a first part provided along the plate threading path, a second step of attaching the inspection unit directly above the slackened second part of the plate threading rope, a third step of an operator manually lifting the inspection unit by pulling the plate threading rope so that the second part moves upward, and a fourth step of inspecting the inside of the furnace while checking the video transmitted from the inspection unit on the terminal device.

According to the present invention, for example, it is possible to provide an apparatus and method for inspecting the inside of a vertical annealing furnace, which allows an operator to manually raise and lower an inspection unit by utilizing a rope for threading a plate in the vertical annealing furnace, thereby making it easier to inspect the inside of the furnace. In other words, since there is no need to install a lifting device having a dedicated rope, reel, drive unit, etc. for raising and lowering the inspection unit at the top of the vertical annealing furnace, the effort and time required for preparation and cleanup can be significantly reduced. In addition, there is also the advantage that there is no need to climb to the top of the furnace, and all work from preparation to inspection and cleanup can be performed at the bottom of the furnace (on the ground).

FIG. 1 is an exemplary schematic configuration diagram of an internal inspection device for a vertical annealing furnace according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is an exemplary side view of an inspection unit of an internal inspection device for a vertical annealing furnace according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is an exemplary front view of a restricting member of the inspection unit of FIG. 2. FIG.

Below, exemplary embodiments of the present invention are disclosed. The configurations of the embodiments shown below, and the actions and effects brought about by said configurations, are merely examples. The present invention can also be realized with configurations other than those disclosed in the following embodiments. Furthermore, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain at least one of the various effects (including derivative effects) obtained by the configurations.

In this specification, ordinal numbers are used only to distinguish between parts, members, locations, positions, directions, etc., and do not indicate order or priority.

[Embodiment]
1 is a configuration diagram of an internal inspection device 1 of a vertical annealing furnace 40 according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the internal inspection device 1 is for inspecting, for example, a plurality of radiant tubes 12 provided in the vertical annealing furnace 40, and includes an inspection unit 10, a plate threading rope 20, and a terminal device 30.

In the following description, for convenience, three mutually orthogonal directions are defined. The X direction is along the front-to-rear direction of the vertical annealing furnace 40 and along the short side direction of the inspection unit 10. The Y direction is along the left-to-right direction of the vertical annealing furnace 40 and along the longitudinal direction of the inspection unit 10. The Z direction is along the up-to-down direction of the vertical annealing furnace and along the up-to-down direction of the inspection unit 10.

As shown in FIG. 1, the terminal device 30 is, for example, a tablet-type personal computer. The terminal device 30 can receive images of the radiant tubes 12 transmitted from the inspection unit 10, and the worker can use the images to inspect the condition of the radiant tubes 12, such as the degree of bending or cracking.

The plate threading rope 20 is wound around the upper hearth roll 11 and the lower hearth roll 13 provided inside the vertical annealing furnace 40. The plate threading rope 20 is arranged along the plate threading path P so that the steel plate removed from the vertical annealing furnace 40 when it is shut down can be easily threaded again. For example, when the steel plate is removed, the plate threading rope 20 is connected to the rear end of the steel plate and moves along the plate threading path P together with the rear end of the steel plate, thereby being arranged inside the furnace.

The plate threading path P extends in a zigzag pattern between multiple pairs of radiant tubes 12 adjacent in the X direction. The plate threading rope 20 is folded back downward via multiple upper hearth rolls 11 above the radiant tubes 12 in the plate threading path P, and is folded back upward via multiple lower hearth rolls 13 below the radiant tubes 12 in the plate threading path P.

In this embodiment, the plate threading rope 20 has a first portion 21 arranged along the plate threading path P, and a second portion 22 slackened relative to the first portion 21. The first portion 21 is positioned on the plate threading path P, and the second portion 22 is positioned at least partially outside the plate threading path P. The first portion 21 is also referred to as a base portion, etc., and the second portion 22 is also referred to as an excess portion, etc.

The second portion 22 is, for example, interposed midway between one end and the other end of the plate threading rope 20, and is provided near the lower hearth roll 13. In this embodiment, the inspection unit 10 is attached to the plate threading rope 20 having the second portion 22 slackened relative to the first portion 21 in this manner, so that an operator can manually raise and lower the inspection unit 10.

Figure 2 is a side view of the inspection unit 10 of the furnace inspection device 1. As shown in Figure 2, the inspection unit 10 has, for example, a stand 4 and a plurality of unit components supported by the stand 4, such as an omnidirectional camera 2, a lighting device 3, an antenna 5, a grip jack 6 for a vertical lifeline, a rope 7, a hanging piece 8, a restricting member 9, and a display device 14.

The omnidirectional cameras 2 are provided at both ends of the stand 4 in the Y direction. The omnidirectional cameras 2 are, for example, equipped with a fisheye lens in the imaging section, and are capable of photographing the inside of the furnace with a 360° field of view. In this embodiment, one of the omnidirectional cameras 2 inspects a pair of radiant tubes 12 adjacent in the X direction on one end side of the Y direction, and the other inspects a pair of radiant tubes 12 adjacent in the X direction on the other end side of the Y direction.

The lighting device 3 is, for example, an LED light, and has a pair of first lights 3a provided at both ends of the mount 4 in the Y direction, and a pair of second lights 3b provided in the center of the mount 4 in the Y direction. In this embodiment, the pair of first lights 3a ensures illuminance in the area below the omnidirectional camera 2, and the pair of second lights 3b ensures illuminance in the area above the omnidirectional camera 2.

The antenna 5 is provided, for example, at the center of the mount 4 in the Y direction. The antenna 5 can transmit the images captured by the omnidirectional camera 2 to the terminal device 30, and the worker can remotely check the images of the radiant tube 12 captured by the omnidirectional camera 2 in real time on the above-mentioned terminal device 30. The omnidirectional camera 2 is also called a celestial sphere camera, etc.

The vertical lifeline grip jack 6 is provided above the platform 4. The vertical lifeline grip jack 6 is connected to the platform 4 via a rope 7 and a hanging piece 8, and suspends the platform 4. The vertical lifeline grip jack 6 forms the upper end (top) of the inspection unit 10, and is detachably fixed to the plate threading rope 20.

The display device 14 is, for example, a smartphone, and is provided at both ends of the stand 4 in the Y direction. Specifically, the display device 14 is located between the omnidirectional camera 2 of the stand 4 and the regulating member 9, near the omnidirectional camera 2. The display device 14 can display information transmitted from the above-mentioned terminal device 30 or a terminal device other than the terminal device 30, such as a worker's smartphone.

In this embodiment, for example, information regarding the inspection location of the inspection unit 10 is transmitted from the terminal device 30 to the display device 14. Then, by using the omnidirectional camera 2 to capture an image of the display device 14 displaying that information together with the radiant tubes 12 around it, it becomes possible to determine the position of the radiant tube 12 within the furnace that has been captured.

In this embodiment, the unit components such as the omnidirectional camera 2, lighting device 3, rope 7, hanging piece 8, restricting member 9, and display device 14 are configured to be plane-symmetrical with respect to a virtual symmetry plane that is perpendicular to the Y direction and passes through the center of the Y direction of the stand 4. In other words, the unit components on one end side of the stand 4 in the Y direction and the unit components on the other end side in the Y direction are in a mirror image relationship. This allows the balance of the inspection unit 10 in the Y direction to be adjusted.

Figure 3 is a front view of the regulating member 9 of the inspection unit 10 in Figure 2. As shown in Figure 3, the regulating member 9 is configured, for example, in the shape of a polygonal frame when viewed in the Y direction. The regulating member 9 is positioned between a pair of radiant tubes 12 adjacent in the X direction and faces the side surface 12a of the radiant tube 12. The regulating member 9 is made of an elastic material such as a synthetic resin material or rubber.

The width of the regulating member 9 in the X direction is set to be approximately the same as or slightly narrower than the gap between a pair of radiant tubes 12. In this embodiment, when an operator manually raises or lowers the inspection unit 10, the regulating member 9 comes into contact with the side surface 12a of the radiant tube 12, thereby preventing the inspection unit 10 from rotating around an axis extending in the Z direction relative to the plate threading rope 20.

Next, an example of a method for inspecting the inside of a vertical annealing furnace 40 will be described. First, as shown in FIG. 1, a second portion 22 is formed on the plate threading rope 20 by slackening it relative to a first portion 21 provided along the plate threading path P (step S1). The second portion 22 is formed, for example, by an operator pulling the plate threading rope 20 downward near the lower hearth roll 13 of the row of radiant tubes 12 to be inspected. Step S1 is an example of the first step.

Next, the inspection unit 10 is attached directly above the slackened second portion 22 of the plate threading rope 20 (step S2). The inspection unit 10 is detachably fixed to the plate threading rope 20 via the vertical lifeline grip jack 6 described above. Step S2 is an example of the second step.

Next, the worker manually raises the inspection unit 10 by pulling the plate threading rope 20 so that the second portion 22 moves upward (step S3). Specifically, as shown in FIG. 1, the worker raises the inspection unit 10 by pulling the plate threading rope 20 of the row adjacent to the row to which the inspection unit 10 is attached downward from the ground. Step S3 is an example of the third step.

At this time, the inspection unit 10 has a total weight of about 6 kg, so one worker can raise and lower the inspection unit 10 by manually pulling the plate threading rope 20. In addition, by fixing the plate threading rope 20 to a safety device to prevent the inspection unit 10 from falling, such as a grip chuck or a roller, the inspection unit 10 can be prevented from falling even if the worker lets go of the plate threading rope 20.

Next, the inside of the furnace is inspected while checking the video transmitted from the inspection unit 10 on the terminal device 30 (step S4). That is, while raising and lowering the inspection unit 10, the inside of the furnace is photographed with the omnidirectional camera 2, and the inspection work is carried out. The video from the two omnidirectional cameras 2 can be checked in real time by a worker on the ground on the terminal device 30, and the inspection is carried out in sequence while checking this video. Step S4 is an example of the fourth step.

When inspecting another row of radiant tubes 12, the inspection unit 10 is first removed from the plate threading rope 20, the slackened second portion 22 of the plate threading rope 20 is adjusted to the row of radiant tubes 12 to be measured, and steps S2 to S4 are repeated. In this way, according to this embodiment, the worker can perform all of the inspection work of the radiant tubes 12 on the ground.

As described above, in this embodiment, the furnace interior inspection device 1 of the vertical annealing furnace 40 includes a plate threading rope 20 having a first portion 21 arranged along the plate threading path P inside the furnace and a second portion 22 slackened relative to the first portion 21, an inspection unit 10 that is detachably attached to the plate threading rope 20 and has an omnidirectional camera 2, an antenna 5 that transmits images captured by the omnidirectional camera 2, and a lighting device 3, and a terminal device 30 that receives the images transmitted from the antenna 5.

With this configuration, for example, an operator can manually raise and lower the inspection unit 10 using the plate threading rope 20 of the vertical annealing furnace 40, and thus an inspection device 1 for the vertical annealing furnace 40 can be provided that allows inspection work inside the furnace to be performed more easily. In other words, since there is no need to install a lifting device with a dedicated rope, reel, drive unit, etc. for raising and lowering the inspection unit 10 at the top of the vertical annealing furnace 40, the effort and time required for preparation and cleanup can be significantly reduced. In addition, there is also the advantage that there is no need to climb to the top of the furnace, and all work from preparation (setting up), inspection, and cleanup can be performed at the bottom of the furnace (on the ground).

In addition, in this embodiment, the furnace inspection device 1 is equipped with a restricting member 9 that restricts the rotation of the inspection unit 10 relative to the plate threading rope 20.

With this configuration, for example, when an operator manually raises or lowers the inspection unit 10, the restricting member 9 can prevent the inspection unit 10 from rotating relative to the plate threading rope 20.

In addition, in this embodiment, the inspection unit 10 is disposed near the omnidirectional camera 2 and has a display device 14 that displays information transmitted from the terminal device 30 or a terminal device other than the terminal device 30.

With this configuration, for example, information regarding the inspection location can be sent from the terminal device 30 to the display device 14, and the omnidirectional camera 2 can take an image of the display device 14 displaying that information together with the radiant tube 12 being inspected, making it clear which position within the furnace has been photographed.

In addition, in this embodiment, the method for inspecting the inside of the vertical annealing furnace 40 includes step S1 (first step) of forming a second portion 22 of the plate threading rope 20 that is slackened relative to a first portion 21 provided along the plate threading path P, step S2 (second step) of attaching an inspection unit 10 directly above the slackened second portion 22 of the plate threading rope 20, step S3 (third step) of an operator manually raising the inspection unit 10 by pulling the plate threading rope 20 so that the second portion 22 moves upward, and step S4 (fourth step) of inspecting the inside of the furnace while checking the video transmitted from the inspection unit 10 on the terminal device 30.

With this configuration, for example, an operator can manually raise and lower the inspection unit 10 using the plate threading rope 20 of the vertical annealing furnace 40, thus providing a method for inspecting the inside of the vertical annealing furnace 40 that makes it easier to carry out inspection work inside the furnace.

Although the above is an example of an embodiment of the present invention, the above embodiment is merely an example and is not intended to limit the scope of the invention. The above embodiment can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, substitutions, combinations, and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention. Furthermore, the specifications of each configuration and shape (structure, type, direction, format, size, length, width, thickness, height, number, arrangement, position, material, etc.) can be modified as appropriate.

Reference Signs List 1... Furnace inspection device 2... Omnidirectional camera 3... Lighting device 5... Antenna 9... Regulating member 10... Inspection unit 14... Display device 20... Strip threading rope 21... First part 22... Second part 30... Terminal device 40... Vertical annealing furnace P... Strip threading path S1... First step S2... Second step S3... Third step S4... Fourth step

Claims (4)

A plate threading rope having a first portion provided along a plate threading path in a vertical annealing furnace and a second portion slackened relative to the first portion;
An inspection unit that is detachably attached to the plate threading rope and has an omnidirectional camera, an antenna that transmits images captured by the omnidirectional camera, and a lighting device;
A terminal device that receives the video transmitted from the antenna;
This is an inspection device for the inside of a vertical annealing furnace. The vertical annealing furnace internal inspection device according to claim 1, which is provided with a restricting member that restricts the rotation of the inspection unit relative to the plate threading rope. The vertical annealing furnace interior inspection device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the inspection unit is disposed near the omnidirectional camera and has a display device that displays information transmitted from the terminal device or a terminal device other than the terminal device. A method for inspecting the inside of a vertical annealing furnace using the furnace inspection device for a vertical annealing furnace according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
a first step of forming a second portion of the rope for passing the plate, the second portion being slackened relative to a first portion of the rope for passing the plate along the path of the rope for passing the plate;
a second step of attaching the inspection unit directly above the slackened second portion of the plate threading rope;
a third step in which an operator manually lifts the inspection unit by pulling the threading rope so that the second portion moves upward;
A fourth step of inspecting the inside of the furnace while checking the image transmitted from the inspection unit on the terminal device;
A method for inspecting the inside of a vertical annealing furnace, comprising:

Images