JP7699209B2 - Predictive refractory performance measurement system - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates generally to refractory analysis, and more specifically to a system and method for predicting refractory performance.

Industrial processes such as steel production and other processes involving high temperature aggressive environments within the production vessel are supported by the collection of an ever-increasing amount of process data and parameters. Many statistical, analytical and data manipulation solutions are available to quickly and efficiently analyze process data for the purpose of optimizing processes and improving efficiency. Process optimization systems, consisting of computer system hardware and software, collect raw process data and correlate the raw process data with process changes, modifications and upgrades. The system can timestamp and correlate the various collected data. In advanced formats, the system can also perform analytical and statistical correlations of multiple interdependent parameters. Using these correlations, the system can evaluate the impact on process efficiency. Many of the collected process parameters directly impact the performance of refractory linings, either individually or in correlation.

The system described above is used in the process of producing liquid steel in primary melting equipment such as basic oxygen furnaces and electric arc furnaces. The system can also be used in secondary refining and transport vessel processes such as steel ladles, degassers, argon oxygen decarburizers, and vacuum oxygen decarburizers. Vessels containing liquid steel should be lined with high-temperature refractory materials that are resistant to the liquid steel and molten slag. However, both liquid steel and molten slag will corrode the refractory lining.

Furthermore, the system as described above can be used in processes producing glass, cement, lime, or other minerals, and in other high temperature units such as incinerators. Furthermore, the system can be used in the production and refinement of oil, gas, chemicals, or the like. Vessels utilized in processes operating at high temperatures, such as continuous and batch glass melting furnaces, cement or lime rotary kilns and furnaces, or rotary kilns and furnaces processing other minerals, or preheat towers and coolers, or various petrochemical reformers such as primary and secondary ammonia reformers, or thermal reactors such as fluid catalytic crackers, or sulfur recovery units, or gasifiers, fluidized beds, incinerators, and the like, must include a lining made of a high temperature refractory material that is resistant to corrosive and erosive conditions, or non-metallic liquids, or molten slags or coatings. However, all of the above conditions will corrode the refractory lining.

The level and progression of refractory lining corrosion is traditionally measured by three widely accepted and currently employed methods: visual observation, infrared mapping, and laser scanning. Visual observation of refractory lining corrosion can be performed during refractory lining maintenance. Visual observation of refractory lining corrosion can also be performed after the end of the refractory lining's useful life by physically measuring the refractory lining remains. The level and progression of refractory lining corrosion in glass melting furnaces can also be measured by radar detection.

Infrared mapping of refractory lining corrosion is performed on the exterior of a lined vessel containing molten steel, glass, cement, lime, oil, gas, chemicals, or other minerals or materials at specific steps or times when each of these is in contact with the vessel. The purpose of infrared mapping of refractory lining corrosion is to correlate the temperature of the exterior surface of the vessel with the condition of the refractory lining attached to the vessel. Infrared mapping can be as simple as visual review of the infrared mapping image. Visual review of the infrared mapping image can be further supplemented by software manipulation, advanced thermal imaging, and data reporting.

Laser scanning of refractory lining corrosion is performed on the inner surface of empty, and sometimes fully or partially filled, vessels with lining at specific process locations. Laser scanning systems can utilize multiple types of hardware and devices, including but not limited to laser time-of-flight cameras. Data collected from the laser scan can be analyzed using software packages that can process the point cloud data into a fully geometrically described image and generate various data reports. The objective of the method is to measure the actual shape, remaining thickness, or other detailed parameters of the refractory lining to within an accuracy of 2 mm. For molten steel, such parameters include, but are not limited to, the condition of the functional parts of the ladle, such as well blocks and tap holes, or the grinding efficiency of well blocks and tap holes, or the measurement of the amount of steel trapped in the bottom recess of the ladle, or the condition of the passages of flow control parts, which may include but are not limited to slide gates. For glass, cement, lime, oil, gas, chemicals, or other minerals or materials, such parameters may include, but are not limited to, the condition of the respective vessel features that contact them, such as inlet ports, outlet ports, crowns, roofs, or specific features.

Radar waves can be used to measure the thickness of the refractory lining in a glass furnace by determining whether the radar wave enters an area of different density based on the radar wave response during operation of the glass furnace. The radar measurement is made from the exterior surface of the glass melting furnace.

Traditionally, the four methods mentioned above are used independently. Refractory lining corrosion is mainly identified by visual observation in industrial processes. However, infrared mapping, radar scanning, and laser scanning are considered as alternative and independent solutions for refractory lining corrosion assessment. In fact, the four methods are competing in the market, but the costs are significantly different. The cost of visual observation is mainly related to overhead. Infrared mapping and radar scanning systems in glass melting furnaces have lower costs than laser scanning systems.

However, using these methods individually can have drawbacks in certain situations. For example, very rarely, visual observations of refractory lining corrosion may not be coordinated with the actual condition of the refractory lining, which is physically assessed using laser scanning or, to a lesser extent, infrared mapping after each heating or process cycle. Furthermore, visual observations do not allow for the collection of valuable process optimization data that can be used to calculate the predicted performance of the refractory lining.

Infrared mapping of refractory lining corrosion is indirect and determines the condition of the refractory lining by observing the external surface. Temperature measurements collected with infrared mapping techniques are affected by heat flow through the actual lining thickness. However, temperature measurements are also affected by the temperature of the liquid steel and impregnation of the lining voids by liquid steel, process liquids, gases, solids, or molten slags or coatings. Such impregnation is common and can introduce errors into infrared mapping measurements, which can lead to premature replacement of the refractory lining and increased costs.

Laser scanning of refractory lining corrosion is straightforward and measures the actual condition and thickness of the refractory lining with high accuracy. However, laser scanning cannot measure the thickness and condition of the refractory lining if it is covered by slag or coating at the time of measurement. This means that molten steel, other melts such as glass, molten slag or coating cannot be left in the ladle or vessel if accurate results are to be obtained from the laser scan. Laser scanning in such a situation can only measure the actual condition and thickness of the visually exposed parts of the refractory lining such as the glass molten crown. If the lining has noticeable defects such as large cracks or thickness deficiencies, but these are temporarily covered by the slag coating, the laser scan will produce erroneous measurements. The coating can then melt during operation, exposing the hidden refractory lining defects to the high temperature process environment including molten steel and non-metallic materials. This can lead to major damage to the refractory lining.

Furthermore, radar scanning in glass applications is accurate to within 5 mm, which is less than the high accuracy offered by laser scanning. Furthermore, radar scanning requires that each point be measured individually. Thus, radar scanning is time consuming. The number of points that can be completed throughout a full vessel scan is limited, usually no more than 150 points. Like infrared cameras, radar scanning cannot distinguish between glass melt or glass infiltrate and may give erroneous measurements if such infiltrate is behind a refractory lining.

The present invention has been developed to address these and other problems by providing a system that identifies refractory lining corrosion by both laser scanning and infrared mapping, and potentially radar scanning in the case of glass melting furnaces. Additionally, the present invention provides a system that can use data obtained by laser scanning, infrared mapping, and radar scanning, as well as process characteristics and variables, to predict the future performance of the refractory lining in question.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a measurement system is provided for predicting a future state of a refractory lining that is lined on an inner surface of an outer wall of a production vessel and exposed to an operating cycle while being exposed to a high temperature environment for producing nonmetals and the produced nonmetals. The system includes one or more laser scanners and a processor. The laser scanner is configured to perform one or more pre-operation laser scans of the refractory lining before the operating cycle to collect data regarding a structural condition before the operating cycle, and to perform one or more post-operation laser scans of the refractory lining after the operating cycle to collect data regarding a structural condition after the operating cycle. The processor is configured to calculate an exposure effect of the operating cycle on the refractory lining by comparing the collected pre-operational cycle structural condition data with the collected post-operational cycle structural condition data, and to predict a future state of the refractory lining after one or more subsequent operating cycles based on the calculated exposure effect of the operating cycle.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method is provided for predicting a future state of a refractory lining that is lined on an inner surface of an outer wall of a production vessel and exposed to an operating cycle while exposed to a high temperature environment for producing nonmetals and the produced nonmetals. The method includes: performing one or more pre-operation laser scans of the refractory lining before the operating cycle to collect data regarding a structural condition before the operating cycle, performing one or more post-operation laser scans of the refractory lining after the operating cycle to collect data regarding a structural condition after the operating cycle of the refractory lining, calculating an exposure effect of the operating cycle on the refractory lining by comparing the collected pre-operational cycle structural condition data with the collected post-operational cycle structural condition data, and predicting a future state of the refractory lining after one or more subsequent operating cycles based on the calculated exposure effect of the operating cycle.

These and other advantages will become apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and claims.

The invention may take physical form with respect to particular parts and arrangements of parts, a preferred embodiment of which is described in detail in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof.
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a first example of a predicted refractory performance measurement system of the present invention. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a first example of a refractory lining whose future state is to be predicted by a first example of the predictive refractory performance measurement system of the present invention, in which the inner surface of the outer wall of an empty metallurgical vessel and a full metallurgical vessel are lined with the refractory lining. 2 is a flow chart illustrating a first example method of the present invention for predicting the future condition of a refractory lining that lines the inside surface of the outer wall of a ladle vessel and is exposed to heating while exposed to molten metal. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a second example of the predicted refractory performance measurement system of the present invention. FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example in which the inner surface of the outer wall of a production vessel is lined with a refractory lining whose future state is to be predicted by the second example of the refractory performance measurement system of the present invention. 1 is a flow chart illustrating a second example of a method of the present invention for predicting the future condition of a refractory lining that lines the inside surface of an outer wall of a production vessel and is exposed to an operating cycle in which it is exposed to a high temperature environment to produce non-metallic materials.

The following detailed description is provided to assist the reader in comprehensively understanding the methods, devices, and/or systems described herein. However, various changes, modifications, and equivalents of the systems, devices, and/or methods described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Furthermore, descriptions of functions and structures well known to those skilled in the art may be omitted for the sake of clarity and conciseness.

The same reference numerals refer to the same elements throughout the drawings and detailed description. The drawings may not be to scale, and the relative sizes, proportions, and depictions of elements in the drawings may be exaggerated for clarity, illustration, and convenience.

Features described herein may be embodied in different forms and should not be construed as being limited to the examples set forth herein. Rather, the examples set forth herein are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will convey the full scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art.

First, for purposes of this description, a "metallurgical vessel" refers to any vessel that may be used in a process for the production or refining of molten steel. This includes, but is not limited to, a primary melter or a secondary metallurgical vessel. Primary melters include, but are not limited to, a basic oxygen furnace or an electric arc furnace. Secondary metallurgical vessels include, but are not limited to, a ladle metallurgical furnace, a degasser, an argon oxygen decarburization vessel, or a vacuum oxygen decarburization vessel. Examples of secondary steelmaking or metallurgical vessels tasked with carrying molten steel include an empty ladle vessel 16 and a full ladle vessel 18, which are described in more detail below. However, the use of metallurgical vessels is not limited to use with molten steel, but may hold other molten metals in general, and the embodiments described herein are not limited thereto.

For purposes of this description, a "production vessel" refers to any vessel that may be used in a high temperature process for the production or refining of glass, cement, lime, chemicals, oil and gas, or other materials typically referred to as non-metallic. This includes, but is not limited to, continuous and batch glass melting furnaces, cement or lime rotary kilns and smelters, or rotary kilns and smelters that process other minerals, or preheat towers and coolers, or various petrochemical reformers such as primary and secondary ammonia reformers, or fluid catalytic crackers, or thermal reactors such as sulfur recovery units, or gasifiers, fluidized beds, incinerators, and the like. However, the use of the production vessel is not limited to glass, cement, lime, chemicals, oil and gas, and may also hold or process other non-metallic materials in general, so the embodiments described herein are not limited thereto.

Additionally, steel mill operating parameters that affect the performance of refractory linings in metallurgical vessels are described, along with their variability and measurement methods, if applicable. For example, for purposes of this description, "heating" may refer to one operation from start to finish in the steelmaking process.

Additionally, operational parameters that affect the performance of the refractory lining in the production vessel are described, along with their variability and measurement methods, if applicable. For example, for purposes of this description, an "operational cycle" may refer to one operation from start to finish of the production process. An "operational cycle" may also refer to the time between shutdowns, between inspections, between maintenance, between repairs, or between laser scans of the production vessel, etc.

For purposes of this description, "scrap or charge mix" in relation to a process for the production or refining of molten steel may include batches having specific ratios of individual scrap qualities and iron units to the steel grade being produced, including, but not limited to, ferrous scrap as specified by guidelines from the Scrap Recycling Industry Association, and may further include, but are not limited to, heavy molten steel, busheling, clipping, bundling, shredding, turning, plate, structural, cast iron, mixed heavy molten, rail, railway, and can bales, and may be supplemented by other sources of iron units, such as, but not limited to, pig iron and hot briquetted iron.

With regard to the "scrap or charge mix" in the process for the production or refining of molten steel, there is a large variation in the quality of ferrous scrap and ferrous units available to steelmakers for their primary melting process. The physical attributes of these materials, such as size, shape, contamination, etc., the chemical attributes of these materials, such as composition, rust, impurities, etc., and the composition of the "scrap or charge mix" for each heat directly affect the efficiency of the melting process, the duration of the smelting metallurgy, and the corrosion and erosion of refractories. The "scrap or charge mix" is usually a simple batch instruction with specific percentages of individual scrap qualities and ferrous units. These instructions are based on the availability of the charge ingredients and the steel grade being produced.

Furthermore, for purposes of this description, a "charged mix" or "continuously fed mix" with respect to high temperature processes for the manufacture or refining of glass, cement, lime, chemicals, oil and gas, or other materials typically referred to as non-metallics, may include a batch or continuous feed, respectively, of specific proportions of individual raw materials and starting materials to the grade of non-metallic material to be produced.

In high temperature processes for the manufacture or refinement of glass, cement, lime, chemicals, oil and gas, or other materials typically referred to as nonmetallics, there is a wide variation in the quality of the "charged mix" or "continuously fed mix" available to nonmetallic manufacturers for their production processes. The physical attributes of these materials, such as size, shape, contamination, etc., the chemical attributes of these materials, such as composition, impurities, etc., as well as the composition and frequency of the "charged mix" or "continuously fed mix" for each operating cycle, directly affect the efficiency of the production process, the duration of the operating cycle, and the corrosion and erosion of refractories. A "charged mix" is typically a simple batch prescription with specific ratios of individual inclusions or additives. A "continuously fed mix" is typically a feed prescription with specific ratios of individual inclusions or additives. These prescriptions are based on the availability of the components of the charged or continuously fed mix and the grade of nonmetallic being produced.

Further, for purposes of this description, "steel" and its grades may include, but are not limited to, carbon steel, nickel steel, nickel-chromium steel, molybdenum steel, chromium steel, chromium-vanadium steel, tungsten steel, nickel-chromium-molybdenum steel, and silicon-manganese steel. Furthermore, each grade of steel requires some variation in the processing of the steel in the primary melting equipment, such as the basic oxygen furnace or electric arc furnace, and in the secondary metallurgical vessels, such as, but not limited to, ladle metallurgical furnaces, degassing equipment, argon oxygen decarburization vessels, and vacuum oxygen decarburization vessels. These specific process requirements to obtain the required steel grade have been demonstrated to affect the performance of the refractory lining. The amount of residual carbon, the level of impurities, and the addition of alloying elements, as well as the decarburization and deoxidization processes, have their own corrosive and erosive effects on the refractory.

Furthermore, for purposes of this description, "non-metallic" and grades thereof may include, but are not limited to, soda-lime-silicate container or flat glass, or soda-silicate water glass, or borosilicate glass, or other specialty glasses, or various other glass compositions typically referred to as e-glass, c-glass, fiberglass, etc.

Furthermore, for example, there are many grades of cement clinker, and there are standard specifications according to ASTM C-150/C-150M-20. This specification lists five types, where Type I is a standard product and is also called "ordinary cement", Type II has moderate resistance to sulfate attack and is also called medium-heat cement, Type III is a high-strength early-strength cement, Type IV is a low-heat cement, and Type V is a sulfate-resistant cement with appropriate compositional limitations. Furthermore, ASTM Cl 157 lists further modifications, such as Type GU for general use, Type HE for having high early strength, Type MS for having medium sulfate resistance, Type HS for having high sulfate resistance, Type MH for having medium heat of hydration, and Type LH for having low heat of hydration.

Similarly, grades of oil and gas refining products, or other minerals and chemicals produced within high temperature environments, have unique corrosive and erosive effects on refractories. These specific process requirements aimed at achieving the required non-metallic grades have a demonstrated effect on refractory lining performance.

Furthermore, for purposes of the present description, "alloying additions" may include "deoxidizers" to furnaces or other metallurgical vessels, such as, but not limited to, aluminum, silicon, ferrosilicon, calcium, magnesium, calcium carbide, and various deoxidizing blends, or additions to ladle making vessels for secondary steel production and refining, such as, but not limited to, carbon, manganese, vanadium, molybdenum, chromium, nickel, titanium, boron, niobium, and other similar materials known to those skilled in the art.

The process of alloying steel is used to change the chemical composition of the steel and modify, tailor or improve its properties to suit a specification or application. The purpose of deoxidizers is to reduce the concentration of oxygen in the molten steel. Additives are added by weight during the melting and refining process and vary based on the starting and target parameters of the individual heats. The quantity and quality of these alloying additions have a significant impact on the quality of the steel as well as the corrosion of the refractory lining.

Further, for purposes of this description, "slag" in relation to processes for the production or refining of molten steel may include a solution of molten metal oxides and fluorides that floats on top of the molten steel and is formed by materials such as, but not limited to, lime, dolomitic lime, magnesia, etc., added prior to or during the steelmaking and refining processes and which form the basis for the creation of the slag. Further, for purposes of this description, "flux additives" are added to optimize the fluidity of the operating slag and may include various blends of calcium aluminate, fluorspar, silica sand, or synthetic slags.

"Slags" in the context of processes for the production or refining of molten steel are primarily liquid at the temperatures at which steel production and steel refining occur. They serve to adsorb non-metallic compounds that arise during the steelmaking process in steps such as decarburization, deoxidization, desulfurization, and dephosphorization. The amount of slag formers and fluxes added varies with the heat and can range from a few pounds to hundreds of pounds per ton of steel. The quantity and quality of these additives have a direct effect on the chemical composition of the liquid slag and the corrosion of the refractory lining.

The typical chemical composition of "slag" in the molten steel refining process is specified in Table 1. An unbalanced chemical composition of the slag has a significant adverse effect on the life of the refractory lining. The chemical composition of the processed cold sample can be measured, for example, by an XRF unit, whereby X-ray fluorescence analysis technique is adopted to calculate the chemical composition. Although not described in detail below, the unit capable of measuring the chemical composition of the processed cold sample will be referred to as a slag chemical composition measuring device 3.

Furthermore, for purposes of this description, "coatings" in the context of high temperature processes for the production or refining of glass, cement, lime, chemicals, oil and gas, or other materials typically referred to as non-metallic may include solutions or blends of non-metallic oxides and fluorides that occur at specific conditions during the operating cycle and at specific locations in the production vessel. "Coatings" adhere to the surface of the refractory at the temperatures at which the production or refining of the non-metallic occurs. They may have a direct effect on the corrosion of the refractory lining.

The temperature of the steel is specified as being in the range of between 2800°F and 3200°F prior to tapping (or removal) of the steel from the primary melting furnace, i.e., furnace vessel, or between 2700°F and 3000°F during or near the end of secondary steelmaking in the ladle vessel. Temperature is typically measured by a thermoelectric thermocouple immersed in the molten metal or steel and valid to within a few degrees Fahrenheit, such as the preferably consumable ladle thermocouple 25. The use of the ladle thermocouple 25 in the predicted refractory performance measurement system 4, and the system 4 itself, are described in more detail below.

Production vessel or operating cycle temperatures for high temperature processes for the manufacture or refining of glass, cement, lime, chemicals, oil and gas, or other materials typically referred to as non-metallic, are 2000°F to 3400°F for glass melting furnaces, 1600°F to 2700°F for cement kilns, 600°F to 1600°F for preheat towers, up to 2200°F for coolers, 1200°F to 1400°F for fluid catalytic crackers, 2400°F to 2800°F for thermal reactors, up to 2200°F for ammonia reformers, up to 3000°F for incinerators, 2400°F to 3000°F for gasifiers, and between 1500°F and 2200°F for fluidized beds. Again, temperatures are typically measured by thermoelectric thermocouples with validity to within a few degrees Fahrenheit.

Further, for purposes of this description, the "history" of a metallurgical vessel refers to the period during which the interior surface of the outer wall of the metallurgical vessel has been lined with the same refractory lining. The history is typically recorded through the collection of various "ladle tracking parameters," including, but not limited to, heats, plate changes, nozzle changes, and other events that affect the metallurgical vessel during the steelmaking process in a manner that may affect the life of the refractory lining installed therein. More specifically, the ladle tracking parameters identify when the refractory lining of the metallurgical vessel is subject to repair, change, or demolition.

For example, a new working refractory lining installed in a metallurgical vessel, such as working refractory lining 34, has zero heats and has an initial chemical composition, origin, and physical design. After exposure to service, some of the components of the metallurgical vessel may require modification or repair. Examples of such modifications may include, but are not limited to, replacement of flow control slide gates (as little as one heat or as many as 15 heats), replacement of flow control upper or lower nozzles (after several to 30 or more heats), replacement of gas purge cones, replacement of well and pocket blocks (from 15 heats to the life of the ladle), and replacement of slag lines (from 15 heats to the life of the equipment).

Further, for purposes of this description, the "history" of a production vessel for a high temperature process for the production or refining of glass, cement, lime, chemicals, oil and gas, or other materials typically referred to as non-metallic, refers to the period during which the interior surface of the exterior wall of the production vessel has been lined with the same refractory lining. This history is typically recorded through the collection of various "process tracking parameters," including, but not limited to, the number of operating cycles, the number of inspections, the number of preventative or emergency maintenance outages, and other events that affect the production vessel during the non-metallic production process in a manner that may affect the life of the refractory lining installed therein. More specifically, the production vessel tracking parameters identify when the refractory lining of the production vessel is subject to repair, modification, or demolition.

There are additional repairs possible for the metallurgical vessel, such as, but not limited to, a monolithic patch of the bottom of the ladle vessel, repairs to the ladle vessel rip ring, etc. The ladle vessel at the time of final dismantling may have had the working refractory lining 34 exposed to at least several heat cycles, and as many as 200 or more. The ladle tracking parameters are variable and have a significant effect on the overall performance of the refractory lining. Repairs or modifications to a metallurgical vessel typically require the vessel to be taken out of service, thereby resulting in thermal shock or thermal gradient damage to the refractory lining located therein.

Additional repairs are also possible with respect to production vessels used in high temperature processes for the manufacture or refining of glass, cement, lime, chemicals, oil and gas, or other materials typically referred to as non-metallic. These repairs or modifications to production vessels typically require the vessel to be taken out of service, thereby resulting in thermal shock or thermal gradient damage to the refractory lining located therein.

Further, for purposes of this description, "preheating" or "heating up" refers to exposing a metallurgical or production vessel to a gas-powered preheater before exposure to molten metal or steel for a metallurgical vessel, or before exposure to an operating cycle for a production vessel. Specifically, for metallurgical vessels, each empty metallurgical vessel should be kept at an elevated temperature if in operation. Preheating or heating up in both metallurgical and production vessels affects the performance of the refractory lining. One example of preheating used in processes for producing or refining molten steel is the working refractory lining 34.

The preheat temperature can be measured by a thermocouple. Examples of this temperature measurement method used in processes for the production or refining of molten steel include preheater thermocouples 2, which are described in more detail below, or optical pyrometers. Preheat temperatures in processes for the production or refining of molten steel typically range from 1500°F to 2200°F. However, because the working refractory linings used in processes for the production or refining of molten steel, such as working refractory lining 34, typically contain graphite and carbon, exposure to any preheating that is out of the norm will directly affect the carbon depletion and, as a result, the performance of working refractory lining 34. Although necessary, preheating of working refractory linings used in processes for the production or refining of molten steel, such as working refractory lining 34, is expected to shorten the refractory life of the working refractory lining and will affect the future condition of the working refractory lining.

Furthermore, the duration of preheating or warming up of a metallurgical or production vessel is not predetermined. Instead, the duration is dependent on variables and conditions defined in the area, or workplace, in which the process is performed. Such variables and conditions include, but are not limited to, operational inconsistencies, process backlogs, availability of molten metal in the case of a metallurgical vessel, availability of charge mix or continuous feed mix contents or fuel in the case of a production vessel, unplanned repairs to process equipment, or emergency maintenance shutdowns. As such, the duration of preheating or warming up must be monitored by a recording mechanism, such as preheating or warming up recorder 24, which is described in more detail below.

Further, for purposes of this description, "residence time" with respect to a process for producing or refining molten steel is defined as the cumulative contact duration of the working refractory lining 34 with the molten steel and slag. The residence time is not predetermined, but is highly dependent on variables and conditions defined in the area, i.e., the workplace, in which the process is performed. For example, the process flow of a steel mill can affect the cumulative contact duration of the working refractory lining 34 with the molten steel and slag for each heat-up as low as 30 minutes to as high as 10 hours or more. As such, the cumulative contact duration must be monitored by a recording mechanism, such as the residence time recorder 23, described in more detail below.

Further, for purposes of this description, the "cycle time" for high temperature processes for the production or refining of glass, cement, lime, chemicals, oil and gas, or other materials typically referred to as non-metallic, is defined as the cumulative contact duration of the refractory lining to the high temperature corrosive and erosive environment. This cycle time is not predetermined, but is highly dependent on variables and conditions defined in the area or workplace in which the process takes place. For example, the process flow in a non-metallic plant can affect the cumulative contact duration of the refractory lining, and therefore the cumulative contact duration needs to be monitored by a recording mechanism, such as the cycle time recorder 423, described in more detail below.

Furthermore, particularly with regard to processes for the production or refining of molten steel, metallurgical vessels are typically equipped with stirring elements located at the bottom. These pass an inert gas, such as argon or nitrogen, through the molten steel to purge it. The main purpose is to improve and accelerate the desulfurization of the molten steel, but also to improve the alloying efficiency and the temperature uniformity of the molten steel. The stirring pressure is usually in the range of 120 psi to 180 psi, and the gas amount is usually between 5 and 50 scfm. Typical flow rates are generally 5 to 10 scfm for gentle stirring and rinsing, 15 to 25 scfm for medium stirring during arcing, alloying addition, and homogenization, and 25 to 45 scfm for heavy desulfurization. The flow rates vary depending on the size of the vessel, the location of the plug, and the condition of the plug. The duration of the purge during heating can range from a few minutes to more than 30 minutes. The typical life of a purge plug is 500 to 2000 minutes. The stirring pressure, flow rate, and time affect the plug life as well as the localized erosion of the working refractory lining 34. Thus, as with preheat and residence time, the parameters for stirring the molten steel are not predetermined but depend on the efficiency of the steel desulfurization. For example, the sulfur level is measured before the molten steel is tapped. If the desulfurization target is not reached, additional stirring time, increased stirring pressure, increased flow rate, etc. are applied. Increases and elevations of these parameters are known to result in a decrease in the life of the working refractory lining 34. These parameters can be monitored and recorded in the gas stirring control device 26, which is further described below.

Furthermore, for purposes of this description, with respect to a process for the production or refining of molten steel, the physical orientation of a metallurgical vehicle corresponds to the location of the metallurgical vehicle in relation to the overall space of the area in which it is used, such as a steel mill or any other facility dedicated to the production of steel.

Referring now to the drawings, which are intended to illustrate, but not to limit, a preferred embodiment of the invention, a process for producing or refining molten steel, the invention will be described with reference to Figures 1-3.

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a predictive refractory performance measurement system 4. The system 4 is used to predict the future condition, i.e., performance, of a refractory lining that lines the inner surface of the outer wall of a metallurgical vessel for handling molten metal or steel. The predictive refractory performance measurement system 4 may be implemented in a steel mill, foundry, or other environment known by those skilled in the art to be suitable for the melting, forming, and refining of steel and metal. However, it is envisioned that a substantial portion of the system 4 may be implemented in any environment in which refractory surface analysis, temperature analysis, process data analysis, and life expectancy calculations are desired.

The exemplary apparatuses, units, modules, devices, and other components shown in FIG. 1 are hardware components that comprise system 4 and perform the methods and operations described herein with respect to FIGS. 2 and 3. Examples of hardware components are not limited to the exemplary apparatuses, units, modules, and devices described above, but may include controllers, sensors, generators, drivers, and any other electronic components known to those of skill in the art. Such components may be variably arranged according to design needs and may communicate with each other through wired or wireless means.

In the non-limiting example described herein, the system 4 includes a computing complex 10. The computing complex 10 may include, but is not limited to, one or more processors 12 and one or more storage means 14. The processors 12 and storage 14 of the computing complex 10 may be oriented, positioned, or connected in any manner to facilitate proper operation of the computing complex 10. This includes, but is not limited to, wired configurations, wireless configurations, local configurations, wide area configurations, and any combination in which communication may be established between them through compatible network protocols.

Processor 12 is implemented by one or more processing elements. Such processing elements may be arrays of logic gates, controllers and arithmetic logic units, digital signal processors, microcomputers, programmable logic controllers, field programmable gate arrays, programmable logic arrays, microprocessors, or any other device or combination of devices known to those skilled in the art that can respond to and execute instructions in a defined manner to achieve a desired result.

For simplicity, the description of the exemplary processor 12 described herein may use the singular "processor," although in other examples multiple processors 12 are used or the processor 12 includes multiple processing elements, or multiple types of processing elements, or both. In one example, the hardware component system 4 includes multiple processors 12 of the computing complex 10, and in another example, the hardware components of the system 4 include independent processors or separate controllers with processors that then communicate with each other to receive data from the processors 12 of the computing complex 10. The processors 12 of the computing complex 10 may be defined as hardware components, along with other components of the system 4 described below. As with the processor 12, other hardware components that include processing capabilities may be defined according to any one or more of different processing configurations, examples of which include single processors, independent processors, parallel processors, single instruction single data (SISD) multiprocessing, single instruction multiple data (SIMD) multiprocessing, multiple instruction single data (MISD) multiprocessing, and multiple instruction multiple data (MIMD) multiprocessing. Processor 12 may be connected via cable or wireless network to hardware components to provide instructions thereto, or to other processors to enable multi-processing capabilities.

The instructions or software for controlling hardware, including processor 12 or a processor in system 4, to implement hardware components and perform methods as described below are written as computer programs, code segments, instructions, or any combination thereof, individually or collectively, to direct or configure hardware, including processor 12 or a processor in system 4, to operate as a machine or special purpose computer and perform the operations performed by the hardware components and methods as described below. In one example, the instructions or software include machine code that is executed directly by hardware, including processor 12 or a processor in system 4, such as machine code generated by a compiler. In another example, the instructions or software include higher level code that is executed by hardware, including processor 12 or a processor in system 4, using an interpreter.

A programmer skilled in the art can readily write instructions or software based on the flowchart shown in FIG. 3 and the corresponding description herein that discloses the hardware components and algorithms for performing the operations performed by the method as described above.

Hardware components implemented in system 4, such as processor 12 or components linked to processor 12, execute instructions or software, such as an operating system (OS) and one or more software applications that run on the OS, to perform the operations described below with respect to Figures 2 and 3.

Instructions or software for controlling hardware, including the processor in system 4 implementing processor 12 or hardware components, to execute methods as described below, and any associated data, data files, and data structures, are recorded, stored, or fixed in storage 14. Storage 14 of computing complex 10 generally refers to one or more memories that store instructions or software executed by processor 12. However, hardware components implemented in system 4, such as processor 12 or components linked to processor 12, may include local storage or may access, manipulate, process, create, and store data in storage 14 in response to execution of instructions or software.

Storage 14 may represent one or more non-transient computer-readable storage media. Storage 14 may represent multiple non-transient computer-readable storage media linked together via the network of the computing complex 10. For example, the non-transient computer-readable storage media may be located in one or more storage facilities or one or more data centers located remotely from the system 4 in the computing complex 10. Such media may be connected to the system 4 through the network of the computing complex 10. The network of the computing complex 10 allows the non-transient computer-readable storage media located remotely in the data center or storage facility to transfer data over the network to the non-transient computer-readable storage media in the storage 14 of the computing complex 10. Furthermore, storage 14 may represent both remotely located non-transient computer-readable storage media and locally located non-transient computer-readable storage media.

Examples of non-transitory computer-readable storage media include read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), flash memory, solid-state memory, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD+R, CD-RW, CD+RW, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD-RAM, BD-ROM, BD-R, BD-R LTH, BD-RE, magnetic tape, floppy disk, magneto-optical data storage device, optical data storage device, hard disk, solid state disk, and any device known to one skilled in the art that can store instructions or software and any associated data, data files, and data structures in a non-transitory manner and provide the instructions or software and any associated data, data files, and data structures to hardware, including processor 12 of computing multifunction machine 10 or a processor in system 4, so that processor 12 or a processor can execute the instructions. In one example, the instructions or software and any associated data, data files, and data structures are distributed over a network-coupled computer system such that the instructions and software and any associated data, data files, and data structures are stored, accessed, and executed by the processors 12 in a distributed manner.

Examples of hardware components in system 4 other than processor 12 and storage 14 of computing complex 10 may include terminal 6. Terminal 6 may include, for example, but is not limited to, a user input, a display, or a combination thereof. In FIG. 1, terminal 6 is illustrated as being connected to computing complex 10. However, embodiments disclosed herein are not so limited. For example, terminal 6 may be connected directly to processor 12, directly to storage 14, to both storage 14 and processor 12, or to any other hardware component of system 4.

The terminal 6 may be configured to display information contained in the storage 14 that has been processed by the processor 12 or entered by a user. The processor 12 is responsible for determining what should be displayed on the terminal 6. The storage 14 may be configured to store data generated by the processor 12 and entered via the terminal 6. Applications, user inputs, and processor calculations may be stored in the storage 14 for access by the processor 12 to predict refractory performance.

Further examples of the above hardware in system 4 connected to storage 14 may include slag chemical composition measurement device 3, laser scanner 20, preheater thermocouple 2, infrared camera 22, residence time recorder 23, preheat recorder 24, gas stirring control device 26, ladle thermocouple 25, and azimuth laser 19. Storage 14 can receive data from these hardware components in any wired or wireless manner known to those skilled in the art, and communicate the received and stored data to processor 12 in any wired or wireless manner known to those skilled in the art for further processing. The operation of these components is described in more detail in the following description.

Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of ladle vessels 16, 18 with refractory linings lining the inside of the outer wall for which the predictive refractory performance measurement system 4 will predict the future state of the refractory lining. Ladle vessel 16 does not contain molten metal or steel and is therefore referred to as "empty ladle vessel 16". Ladle vessel 18 contains molten metal or steel and is therefore referred to as "full ladle vessel 18". Ladle vessels 16 and 18 in Figure 2 are representative of secondary refining and transport vessels such as steel ladles.

Each of the ladle vessels 16, 18 is lined with the same refractory. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the inner surface of the outer wall of the ladle vessels 16, 18 is lined with a spare refractory lining 32. A working refractory lining 34 is lined on top of the spare refractory lining 32.

Since the working refractory lining 34 is lined on the spare refractory lining 32, the spare refractory lining 32 usually has a relatively long life. For example, the spare refractory lining 32 may have a life of one year. On the other hand, during the steelmaking heat-up, the working refractory lining 34 is directly exposed to the molten metal or steel contained in the ladle vessels 16, 18. Therefore, the life of the working refractory lining 34 is typically quite short. Depending on the severity of the steelmaking process carried out during the heat-up, the working refractory lining 34 may only last two weeks. Thus, it is assumed that the working refractory lining 34 of the empty ladle vessel 16 is the same as the working refractory lining 34 of the filled ladle vessel 18, but that during the heat-up, the working refractory lining 34 of the filled ladle vessel 18 is affected by the molten metal or steel contained therein. Therefore, the structural conditions of the working refractory lining 34 of the empty ladle vessel 16 before heating is performed may be significantly different from the structural conditions of the working refractory lining 34 of the empty ladle vessel 16 after each heating is performed.

As previously mentioned, the system 4 includes at least one laser scanner 20. The laser scanner 20 may be stationary or mobile. The laser scanner 20 is configured to scan the working refractory lining 34 of the empty ladle vessel 16 before and after heating to handle molten metal or steel. The laser scanner 20 may have a class 1 eye-safe laser capable of scanning at a frequency of 1,000,000 points per second. The laser scanner 20 may also have a scanning speed of 20 seconds and an accuracy of 1-2 mm.

The laser scanner 20 is supported by a laser support device 21. The laser support device 21 may be a stationary support when the laser scanner 20 is stationary, or a mobile support when the laser scanner 20 is moving. When the laser scanner 20 is mobile, the laser support device 21 may be any support means known by a person skilled in the art to be suitable for moving a mobile laser scanner 20. When the laser scanner 20 is stationary, the laser support device 21 may be any fixable support means known by a person skilled in the art to be suitable for fixing a stationary laser scanner 20.

The scanning functions performed by the laser scanner 20 include, but are not limited to, collecting structural data observing the structural condition of the working refractory lining 34 within the empty ladle vessel 16 before and after heating, respectively, to fill the empty ladle vessel 16 with molten metal or steel, thereby becoming the filled ladle vessel 18. This data is provided to the computing complex 10 for storage in the storage device 14 and/or reference by the processor 12 regarding the structural condition of the working refractory lining 34.

The system 4 may also include one or more infrared cameras 22 that may perform one or more infrared scans of the exterior surface of the exterior wall of the filled ladle vessel 18 during heating to collect data related to the temperature of the exterior surface of the exterior wall of the filled ladle vessel 18 during heating.

In one example, the infrared cameras 22 may be placed at multiple locations within the processing plant to strategically measure the temperature of the exterior surface of the exterior wall of the filled ladle vessel 18 as it moves from where it is filled with molten steel to secondary steelmaking locations throughout the processing plant, including where refining occurs. In another example, the infrared cameras 22 may be placed at locations within the processing plant to strategically measure the temperature of the exterior surface of the exterior wall of the empty ladle vessel 16 before and after heating to handle molten metal or steel. Thermal inconsistencies in the empty ladle vessel 16 may be identified even when the empty ladle vessel 16 is being preheated. The temperature data collected from the infrared cameras 22 may be mapped by the processor 12 to identify deteriorated areas of the working refractory lining 34.

The infrared camera 22 may be any infrared camera known to those skilled in the art to be suitable for imaging the exterior surface of the exterior wall of a metallurgical vessel when filled with molten steel. The temperature data may be provided to the computing complex 10 for storage in the storage device 14 and/or for consideration by the processor 12 regarding the structural condition of the working refractory lining 34.

Although analysis utilizing ASTM 680-14 or heat transfer calculation software developed for refractory design can be used to calculate the temperature data of the empty ladle vessel 16 or the filled ladle vessel 18 obtained by the infrared camera 22 in terms of thermal resistivity and heat flux, the embodiments disclosed herein are not so limited. For example, any software or analysis method known to one skilled in the art to be capable of calculating such temperature data can be utilized.

Furthermore, the laser scan data, temperature data, or combination thereof communicated to the computing complex 10 for reference by the processor 12 may be additionally referenced along with other measured predetermined operational parameters stored in the storage 14 awaiting communication to and reference by the processor 12. The measured operational parameters may be provided to the computing complex 10 for reference by the processor 12 through the hardware means previously described, including but not limited to the slag chemical composition measuring device 3, the preheater thermocouples 2, the residence time recorder 23, the preheat recorder 24, the gas stirring control device 26, and the ladle thermocouples 25. The predetermined operational parameters may be stored in the storage 14 for future reference in connection with future state predictions for the working refractory lining 34, or may be provided to the computing complex 10 via the terminal 6 by user input or historical data previously processed by the processor 12.

The predetermined operating parameters may include historical data relating to one or more refractories applied to one or more previous refractory linings that lined the inside surface of the outer wall of a previous metallurgical vessel that handled molten metal or steel, an initial chemical composition and origin of the working refractory lining 34, an initial physical design of the working refractory lining 34, the steel grade desired to be produced from the molten steel during heating, physical and chemical attributes and amounts of fill mix ingredients that are added to the metallurgical vessel during heating to produce the desired steel grade from the molten steel, physical and chemical attributes and amounts of alloys that are added to the metallurgical vessel during heating for secondary steelmaking and refining, and the molten steel. These may include, but are not limited to, the physical and chemical attributes and amounts of slag formers that are added to the molten steel in the poultry vessel during heating to form a slag that absorbs non-metallic constituents from the molten steel to produce the desired steel grade from the steel, the physical and chemical attributes and amounts of flux additives that are added to the molten steel in the metallurgical vessel to optimize the fluidity of the formed slag to produce the desired steel grade from the molten steel, the history of the metallurgical vessel during the period that the working refractory lining 34 is lined on the liner surface of the outer wall of the metallurgical vessel, or any other relevant predetermined operating parameters identified in a particular metal manufacturing operation.

For purposes of this application, the physical design of the working refractory lining 34 may include, but is not limited to, the structural details of the working refractory lining 34, the shape of the refractory components in the working refractory lining 34, the size of the refractory components in the working refractory lining 34, and the combination of refractory components in the working refractory lining 34.

The measured operational parameters may include, but are not limited to, the preheat duration during which the empty metallurgical vessel is preheated prior to heating, the residence time defined by the cumulative contact duration during which the molten steel, slag, or a combination thereof is in contact with the working refractory lining 34 during the process of producing molten steel, the magnitude of the stirring pressure exerted by the stirring of the molten steel in the metallurgical vessel, the flow rate of the inert gas applied to the molten steel in the metallurgical vessel during the stirring of the molten steel in the metallurgical vessel, the stirring duration during which the molten metal is stirred, or other relevant measured operational parameters identified in a particular metal production operation.

Using the above data, the processor 12 can calculate the exposure effect of the heating on the working refractory lining 34 of the metallurgical vessel and predict the future state of the working refractory lining 34 after one or more subsequent heats. The exposure effect of the heating on the working refractory lining 34 may be calculated by comparing the structural condition of the working refractory lining 34 before the heating with the structural condition of the working refractory lining 34 after the heating. Based on the calculated exposure effect, the future state of the working refractory lining 34 after one or more subsequent heats is predicted. In other words, the exposure effect of the first heat can be used to predict the future state of the working refractory lining 34 after a second heat, a third heat, etc. The processor 12 may reference data from all of the data sources mentioned above, including, but not limited to, other data sources not mentioned herein.

As an example, to supplement predictions of future conditions of the working refractory lining 34, temperature data collected from the infrared camera 22 may be correlated with the structural condition of the working refractory lining 34 before handling molten steel and with the structural condition of the working refractory lining 34 after handling molten steel to supplement calculations of exposure effects of the working refractory lining 34. This allows for more accurate predictions of future conditions.

In another example, to supplement the prediction of the future state of the working refractory lining 34, the calculation of the exposure impact of the working refractory lining 34 may be supplemented by considering the operational impact of one or more of the aforementioned predetermined or measured operational parameters on the exposure impact of heating to the working refractory lining 34 in correlation with the collected structural condition data.

As an example, historical data on one or more refractories applied to one or more past refractory linings lined on the inside surface of the outer wall of a past metallurgical vessel that handled molten metal or steel can be used to establish a historical pattern of exposure effects. Such historical patterns can complement a comparison of the structural condition of the working refractory lining 34 before handling molten metal or steel with the structural condition of the working refractory lining 34 after handling molten metal or steel, and a correlation with that of the temperature data collected from the infrared camera 22. Such historical data can be accumulated in the storage 14 of the computer complex 10 after the calculation of the exposure effects to enable the processor 12 to predict with greater accuracy the future state of the subsequent working refractory lining after each successive heating.

With respect to the use of measured operational parameters to assist in the calculation of exposure impacts, a ladle thermocouple 25 may be provided to measure the temperature of the molten metal or steel in the filled ladle vessel 18. As an example, the ladle thermocouple 25 may be inserted into the molten steel through an opening 40 in the filled ladle vessel 18 to measure the temperature of the molten steel during or at the end of the secondary steelmaking process (e.g., at the end of the refining process). The ladle thermocouple 25 may provide measured temperature data to the computing complex 10 for consideration by the processor 12 during the calculation of exposure impacts according to the prediction of the future state of the working refractory lining 34.

Additionally, a slag chemical composition measurement device 3 may be provided to measure the chemical composition of the slag produced in the metallurgical vessel during the secondary steelmaking process. As previously mentioned, a sample of the slag needs to be cooled in order to measure the chemical composition. The slag chemical composition measurement device 3 may be, for example, an X-ray fluorescence device, which employs X-ray fluorescence analysis techniques to calculate the chemical composition. The slag chemical composition measurement device 3 may provide the measured chemical composition of the slag to the computing complex 10 for reference by the processor 12 during calculation of exposure effects according to prediction of the future state of the working refractory lining 34.

Furthermore, a preheater thermocouple 2 may be provided to measure the temperature of the metallurgical vessel when it is empty and the vessel is being preheated before being filled with molten metal or steel. The preheater thermocouple 2 may provide the measured preheater temperature to the computing complex 10 for consideration by the processor 12 during calculation of exposure effects according to prediction of future conditions of the working refractory lining 34.

To monitor the duration of residence time, a recording mechanism such as the residence time recorder 23 discussed herein may be used to measure the cumulative contact duration while the molten metal, slag, or combination thereof is in contact with the refractory lining during heating.

Further, to monitor the duration of preheat, a recording mechanism such as the preheat recorder 24 featured herein may be used to record the duration of preheat applied to the empty metallurgical vessel prior to heating. Specifically, the duration of preheat may be measured by the preheat recorder 24 from as little as a few minutes to as many as a few days. The preheat recorder 24 may be incorporated into a gas-powered preheater along with an automatic gas shutoff.

Additionally, a control mechanism such as the gas agitation control device 26 may be used to measure various agitation parameters, including, but not limited to, the magnitude of agitation pressure applied by the agitation of the molten steel in the filled metallurgical vessel, the flow rate of the inert gas added to the molten steel during agitation of the molten steel in the filled metallurgical vessel, and the agitation duration while the molten steel is agitated.

An orientation laser 19 may be provided to scan the empty ladle vessel 16 to identify its physical orientation prior to the laser scanning of the working refractory lining 34 by the laser scanner 20. The scanning performed by the orientation laser 19 assists and helps to improve the accuracy of the laser scanning of the working refractory lining 34 performed by the laser scanner 20. The physical orientation of the empty ladle vessel 16 relates to the location of the empty ladle vessel 16 relative to the process or facility in which it is used. The orientation laser 19 provides the identified physical orientation of the metallurgical vessel to the computing complex 10 for consideration by the processor 12 to determine the correct positioning of the empty ladle vessel 16, for accurate calculation of exposure impacts according to prediction of the future state of the working refractory lining 34.

More specifically, data from the azimuth laser 19 may enable the processor 12 to calculate thickness measurements from spatial measurements of the surface of the working refractory lining 34. Such measurements cannot be derived unless the physical location and orientation of the empty ladle vessel 16 is estimated or precisely known. Data from the azimuth laser 19 may enable the processor 12 to precisely know the physical location and orientation of the empty ladle vessel 16.

Although the orientation laser 19 is shown in FIG. 2 as being positioned directly beneath the empty ladle vessel 16, the embodiments disclosed herein are not so limited. For example, the orientation laser 19 may be positioned anywhere that provides a safe, unobstructed direct line of sight to the exterior wall of the empty ladle vessel 16, such that the orientation laser 19 would be positioned to scan the bottom and lower portion of the empty ladle vessel 16. It should also be noted that the physical orientation provided by the orientation laser 19 may be supplemented through data provided by the laser scanner 20 regarding the empty ladle vessel 16.

Now referring to Figures 2 and 3, a method 100 is described for predicting the future state of a working refractory lining 34 that lines the inside surface of the outer wall of a metallurgical vessel and is exposed to heat while the refractory lining is exposed to molten metal or steel.

For purposes of the description of method 100, "metallurgical vessel" may refer to a ladle vessel that is exposed to molten metal or steel. Ladle vessel in method 100 generally refers to empty ladle vessel 16 and full ladle vessel 18 in situations where it does not matter whether the ladle vessel is empty or full. Further, in one example, empty ladle vessel 16 receives molten steel from a furnace as molten steel is tapped therefrom. Thus, empty ladle vessel 16 transitions to full ladle vessel 18 as molten steel is tapped from the furnace into empty ladle vessel 16.

Furthermore, method 100 is not limited to a process in which the metallurgical vessel is transported, but it is assumed that during heating in method 100, ladle vessel 16 and ladle vessel 18 are transported throughout the processing location or plant via transportation means known to those skilled in the art, such as, but not limited to, cranes, conveyors, rails, and bearings. Furthermore, computing complex 10, including processor 12 and any other control units, allows for control of all processes, including, but not limited to, scanning, measuring, transporting, metal transfer, observing, collecting, determining, predicting, and examining.

A schematic diagram of the transportation of ladle vessel 16 and ladle vessel 18 is shown in FIG. 2. Empty ladle vessel 16 and full ladle vessel 18 are shown separately. In an embodiment, empty ladle vessel 16 may be initially scanned to identify the physical orientation of empty ladle vessel 16 prior to any scanning of working refractory lining 34. Such initial scanning may be performed by azimuth laser 19 as described above. The physical orientation of empty ladle vessel 16 may be referenced by processor 12 during any further consideration, calculations, and predictions by processor 12 regarding ladle vessel 16 or ladle vessel 18.

Furthermore, after the physical orientation scan and prior to any scan of the working refractory lining 34, the preheat temperature and preheat duration during which the empty ladle vessel 16 is undergoing preheat prior to heating may be recorded while the empty ladle vessel 16 is being preheated in preparation for heating. The preheat temperature may be measured by the preheater thermocouple 2 and the preheat duration may be recorded by the preheat recorder 24. The preheat temperature and preheat duration may be used by the processor 12 as measured parameters in considering the operational impact of operational parameters related to steelmaking on the structural condition of the working refractory lining 34 after handling of molten metal or steel.

Further measurements of operational parameters may be performed during the heating, including, but not limited to, measuring the temperature of the molten metal or steel in the filled ladle vessel 18 by the ladle thermocouple 25, measuring the chemical composition of the slag in the filled ladle vessel 18 by the slag chemical composition measuring device 3, measuring the cumulative contact duration during which the molten steel, slag, or a combination thereof is in contact with the working refractory lining 34 during the heating by the residence time recorder 23, and measuring various stirring parameters by the gas stirring control device 26, which are described in detail below. The predetermined operational parameters as described above can be provided to the computing complex 10 at any convenient time. However, as previously described and further described below, any predetermined operational parameters provided to the computing complex 10 will be referenced by the processor 12 in calculating the exposure effect on the working refractory lining 34.

After any additional preparatory steps are completed, a laser scan is performed of the working refractory lining 34 of the empty ladle vessel 16 prior to heating (S101). Performing the laser scan prior to heating may be performed by the laser scanner 20 and may also include collecting data regarding the pre-heat structural condition of the working refractory lining 34.

Heating then occurs during which the empty ladle vessel 16 is filled with molten metal or steel, thereby becoming a filled ladle vessel 18. This is illustrated in the flow diagram of FIG. 2, where the empty ladle vessel 16 is shown at one part of the process and the filled ladle vessel 18 is shown at a later point in the process. During heating, the filled ladle vessel 18 is emptied, becoming the empty ladle vessel 16, as illustrated in the flow diagram of FIG. 2.

After heating is completed, a laser scan of the working refractory lining 34 of the empty ladle vessel 16 is again performed (S102). Similar to the laser scan before heating, the laser scan after heating can be performed by the laser scanner 20. Additionally, the laser scan after heating can also include collecting data related to the post-heating structural condition of the working refractory lining 34.

After the pre-heating laser scan and the post-heating laser scan, the processor 12 calculates the exposure impact of heating on the working refractory lining 34 (S103). The processor 12 can determine the exposure impact by comparing the collected pre-heating structural condition data with the collected post-heating structural condition data. After calculating the exposure impact of heating, the processor 12 predicts a future state of the working refractory lining 34 after one or more subsequent heatings based on the calculation of the exposure impact of heating (S104).

This prediction provides vital information to determine whether the ladle vessel can be used again with the working refractory lining 34 or whether the working refractory lining 34 needs to be replaced. This can avoid an incident that would cause excessive structural damage to the ladle vessel, resulting in less downtime, increased efficiency, and reduced costs.

As an example, one or more infrared scans may be performed by the infrared camera 22 on the exterior surface of the exterior wall of the filled ladle vessel 18 during heating. This scan allows the infrared camera 22 to collect data regarding the temperature of the exterior surface detected during heating. This temperature data can be correlated with collected structural condition data to more accurately determine the effects of exposure and predict future conditions.

In another embodiment, the calculation of the exposure impact includes considering the operational impact of one or more of the measured or predefined operational parameters on the working refractory lining 34 during heating in correlation with the collected structural condition data, and optionally, in this particular embodiment, in correlation with the collected temperature data from the infrared scan.

The predetermined operating parameters include the predetermined operating parameters previously described herein, but are not limited to the following: historical data regarding one or more refractories applied to one or more previous refractory linings that handled molten metal; the initial chemical composition and origin of the working refractory lining 34; the initial design of the working refractory lining 34; the steel grade desired to be produced during the heat-up; the physical and chemical attributes and amounts of the fill mix components added to the filled ladle vessel 18 during the heat-up; the physical and chemical attributes and amounts of the alloys added to the filled ladle vessel 18 during the heat-up; the physical and chemical attributes and amounts of the slag formers added to the filled ladle vessel 18 during the heat-up; the physical and chemical attributes and amounts of the flux additives added to the filled ladle vessel 18 during the heat-up; and the history of the ladle vessel 16 and ladle vessel 18 during the period in which the working refractory lining 34 was lined therein.

The measured operating parameters include those previously described herein, including, but are not limited to, the following: preheat temperature measured by the preheater thermocouple 2 while the empty ladle vessel 16 is being preheated prior to heating, preheat duration measured by the preheat recorder 24 while the empty ladle vessel 16 is being preheated prior to heating, temperature measurements of the molten metal or steel in the filled ladle vessel 18 by the ladle thermocouple 25, cumulative contact duration measurements during which the molten steel, slag, or combination thereof is in contact with the working refractory lining 34 during heating by the residence time recorder 23, and measurements of various stirring parameters by the gas agitation control device 26, including, but not limited to, the magnitude of agitation pressure applied by stirring the molten metal in the filled ladle vessel 18 during heating, the flow rate of inert gas applied to the molten metal in the filled ladle vessel 18 during stirring, the duration of stirring the molten metal, etc.

Referring now to the drawings, in which the illustrations are for purposes of illustrating a preferred embodiment of the invention, and not for purposes of limitation, a high temperature process for the manufacture or refining of glass, cement, lime, chemicals, oil and gas, or other materials typically referred to as non-metallic, will now be described with reference to Figures 4-6.

Figure 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating another example of a predictive refractory performance measurement system. The predictive refractory performance measurement system 404 is used to predict the future state, i.e., performance, of a refractory lining that lines the inside surface of the outer wall of a manufacturing vessel for handling glass, cement, lime, chemicals, oil and gas, or other materials typically referred to as nonmetallic. The predictive refractory performance measurement system 404 may be implemented in a factory, workshop, production area, or other environment known by those skilled in the art to be suitable for melting, forming, sintering, densifying, converting, and refining nonmetallic materials. However, it is contemplated that a substantial portion of the system 404 may be implemented in any environment in which refractory surface analysis, temperature analysis, process data analysis, and life calculations are desired.

Systems 4 and 404 are similar in that both are designed to calculate the condition of a refractory layer used in an industrial process after exposure to corrosive substances that may cause the refractory layer to deteriorate in the industrial process. While much of the hardware in systems 4 and 404 is interchangeable, certain hardware is unique to system 404. Additionally, some of the hardware used in system 4 is not necessary for the operation of system 404. Additionally, some of the corresponding hardware in systems 4 and 404 may perform their functions uniquely because the processes in which system 4 is used and many of the components measured are different from the processes in which system 4 is used.

As with system 4 and FIGS. 1-3, the exemplary apparatus, units, modules, devices, and other components shown in the figures are hardware components that make up system 404 and perform the methods and operations described herein with respect to FIGS. 5 and 6. Examples of hardware components are not limited to the exemplary apparatus, units, modules, and devices described above, but may include controllers, sensors, generators, drivers, and any other electronic components known to one of ordinary skill in the art. Such components may be variably arranged according to design needs and may communicate with each other through wired or wireless means.

In the non-limiting example described herein, the system 404 includes a computing complex 410. The computing complex 410 may include, but is not limited to, one or more processors 412 and one or more storage means 414. The processors 412 and storage 414 of the computing complex 410 may be oriented, positioned, or connected in any manner to facilitate proper operation of the computing complex 410. This includes, but is not limited to, wired configurations, wireless configurations, local configurations, wide area configurations, and any combination in which communication may be established between them through compatible network protocols.

Processor 412 is implemented by one or more processing elements. Such processing elements may be arrays of logic gates, controllers and arithmetic logic units, digital signal processors, microcomputers, programmable logic controllers, field programmable gate arrays, programmable logic arrays, microprocessors, or any other device or combination of devices known to those skilled in the art that can respond to and execute instructions in a defined manner to achieve a desired result.

For simplicity, the description of the exemplary processor 412 described herein may use the singular "processor," although in other examples multiple processors 412 are used or the processor 412 includes multiple processing elements, or multiple types of processing elements, or both. In one example, the system 404 of hardware components includes multiple processors 412 of a computing complex 410, and in another example, the hardware components of the system 404 include a separate processor or another controller including a processor, which is then in data communication to receive data from the processor 412 of the computing complex 410. The processor 412 of the computing complex 410 may be defined as a hardware component along with other components of the system 404 described below. Like the processor 412, other hardware components including processing capabilities may be defined according to any one or more of different processing configurations, examples of which include single processor, independent processor, parallel processor, single instruction single data (SISD) multiprocessing, single instruction multiple data (SIMD) multiprocessing, multiple instruction single data (MISD) multiprocessing, and multiple instruction multiple data (MIMD) multiprocessing. The processor 412 may be connected to the hardware components to provide instructions thereto, or to other processors to enable multiprocessing capabilities, via cables or wireless networks.

The instructions or software for controlling the hardware, including the processor 412 or the processor in the system 404, to implement the hardware components and perform the methods as described below are written as computer programs, code segments, instructions, or any combination thereof, individually or collectively, to direct or configure the hardware, including the processor 412 or the processor in the system 404, to operate as a machine or special purpose computer and perform the operations performed by the hardware components and the methods as described below. In one example, the instructions or software include machine code that is executed directly by the hardware, including the processor in the processor 412 or the system 404, such as machine code generated by a compiler. In another example, the instructions or software include higher level code that is executed by the hardware, including the processor in the processor 412 or the system 404, using an interpreter.

A programmer of ordinary skill in the art can readily write instructions or software based on the flow chart shown in FIG. 6, which discloses the hardware components and algorithms for performing the operations performed by the method as described above, and the corresponding description herein of high temperature processes for the manufacture or refining of glass, cement, lime, chemicals, oil and gas, or other materials typically referred to as non-metallic.

Hardware components implemented in system 404, such as processor 412 or components linked to processor 412, execute instructions or software, such as an operating system (OS) and one or more software applications that run on the OS, to perform the operations described below with respect to Figures 5 and 6.

Instructions or software for controlling hardware, including the processor 412 or the hardware components in the system 404 to execute methods as described below, and any associated data, data files, and data structures, are recorded, stored, or fixed in the storage 414. The storage 414 of the computing complex 410 generally refers to one or more memories that store instructions or software executed by the processor 412. However, hardware components implemented in the system 404, such as the processor 412 or components linked to the processor 412, may include local storage or may access, manipulate, process, create, and store data in the storage 414 in response to the execution of instructions or software.

Storage 414 may represent one or more non-transient computer-readable storage media. Storage 414 may represent multiple non-transient computer-readable storage media linked together via the network of the computing complex 410. For example, the non-transient computer-readable storage media may be located in one or more storage facilities or one or more data centers located remotely from the system 404 in the computing complex 410. Such media may be connected to the system 404 through the network of the computing complex 410. The network of the computing complex 410 allows the non-transient computer-readable storage media located remotely in the data center or storage facility to transfer data over the network to the non-transient computer-readable storage media in the storage 414 of the computing complex 410. Furthermore, storage 414 may represent both remotely located non-transient computer-readable storage media and locally located non-transient computer-readable storage media.

Examples of non-transitory computer-readable storage media include read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), flash memory, solid-state memory, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD+R, CD-RW, CD+RW, DVD-ROM, DVD-R, DVD+R, DVD-RW, DVD+RW, DVD-RAM, BD-ROM, BD-R, BD-R LTH, BD-RE, magnetic tape, floppy disk, magneto-optical data storage device, optical data storage device, hard disk, solid state disk, and any device known to one skilled in the art that can store instructions or software and any associated data, data files, and data structures in a non-transitory manner and provide instructions or software and any associated data, data files, and data structures to hardware, including processor 412 of computing complex 410 or a processor in system 404, so that processor 412 or a processor can execute the instructions. In one example, the instructions or software and any associated data, data files, and data structures are distributed over a network-coupled computer system such that the instructions and software and any associated data, data files, and data structures are stored, accessed, and executed by the processors 412 in a distributed manner.

Examples of hardware components in system 404 other than processor 412 and storage 414 of computing complex 410 may include terminal 406. Terminal 406 may include, for example, but is not limited to, a user input, a display, or a combination thereof. In FIG. 4, terminal 406 is illustrated as being connected to computing complex 410. However, embodiments disclosed herein are not limited in this respect. For example, terminal 406 may be connected directly to processor 412, directly to storage 414, to both storage 414 and processor 412, or to any other hardware component of system 404.

The terminal 406 may be configured to display information contained in the storage 414, processed by the processor 412 or input by a user. The processor 412 oversees determining what is to be displayed on the terminal 406. The storage 414 may be configured to store data generated by the processor 412 and input via the terminal 406. Applications, user inputs, and processor calculations may be stored in the storage 414 for access by the processor 412 to predict refractory performance.

Further examples of the above hardware of the system 404 connected to the storage 414 are illustrated in at least one of FIG. 4 or FIG. 5 and may include at least one laser scanner 420, an auxiliary thermocouple 402, one or more outside-view infrared cameras 422, one or more inside-view infrared cameras 403, a cycle time recorder 423, an auxiliary recorder 424, an environmental measurement thermocouple 425, a non-metallic measurement thermocouple 428, an azimuth laser 419, one or more pressure sensors 407 for radar/tomography scanning, one or more gas sensors 409 and one or more tomography sensors 411, etc.

Some of this hardware may only be utilized in certain applications. For example, the functional use of the tomography sensor 411 for radar/tomography scanning may be limited to use for radar wave differential measurements when the system 404 is being used to measure refractory layers in a glass melting furnace.

Furthermore, the functional use of pressure sensor 407 and gas sensor 409 may be limited to petrochemical applications in which system 404 is employed to measure refractory lining 434 when production vessel 416 includes a burner system, uses variable fuel supply, or is under pressure and exposed to the presence of gas. In particular, pressure measurements obtained by pressure sensor 407 and gas type measurements obtained by gas sensor 409 may be communicated to processor 412 to consider how exposure to pressure and gas composition within production vessel 416 affects the life of refractory lining 434.

Further, the functional use of the glass pull rate calculator via the processor 412 may be further configured to calculate a glass pull rate, which represents the rate at which glass is melted in the production vessel 416, typically expressed in tons of glass melted per day. Such calculations may consider how the rate at which glass is processed in the production vessel 416, i.e., the amount of material passing through the production vessel 416 per day, affects the life of the refractory lining 434.

Storage 414 can receive data from these hardware components in any wired or wireless manner known to those of skill in the art, and communicate the received and stored data to processor 412 in any wired or wireless manner known to those of skill in the art for further processing. The operation of these components is described in more detail below.

Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example in which a lining is applied to the inner surface of the outer wall of a production vessel 416, where the predicted refractory performance measurement system 404 predicts the future state of the refractory lining 434. In the example shown in Figure 5, the refractory lining 434 is applied to the inner surface of the outer wall of the production vessel 416.

Depending on the severity of the manufacturing processes carried out during an operating cycle, the refractory lining 434 may only last a few months. During the operating cycle, the refractory lining 434 of the manufacturing vessel 416 is expected to be subjected to molten liquids, or hot, abrasive, and corrosive solids, or hot, corrosive gases. Thus, the structural condition of the refractory lining 434 of the manufacturing vessel 416 after each operating cycle may be significantly different from the structural condition of the refractory lining 434 of the manufacturing vessel 416 before each operating cycle carried out.

As previously mentioned, the system 404 includes at least one laser scanner 420. The laser scanner 420 may be fixed or mobile. The laser scanner 420 is configured to scan the refractory lining 434 before and after the non-metallic handling operational cycle. The laser scanner 420 may have a class 1 eye-safe laser capable of scanning at a frequency of 1,000,000 points per second. The laser scanner 420 may also have a scanning speed of 20 seconds and an accuracy of 1-2 mm.

The laser scanner 420 is supported by a laser support device 421. The laser support device 421 may be a stationary support when the laser scanner 420 is stationary, or a mobile support when the laser scanner 420 is moving. When the laser scanner 420 is mobile, the laser support device 421 may be any support means known by a person skilled in the art to be suitable for moving a mobile laser scanner 420. When the laser scanner 420 is stationary, the laser support device 421 may be any fixable support means known by a person skilled in the art to be suitable for fixing a stationary laser scanner 420.

The scanning functions performed by the laser scanner 420 include, but are not limited to, collecting structural data observing the structural condition of the refractory lining 434 before and after an operational cycle. This data is provided to the computing complex 410 for storage in the storage device 414 and/or review by the processor 412 regarding the structural condition of the refractory lining 434.

The system 404 may also include one or more exterior-view infrared cameras 422 capable of performing one or more infrared scans of the exterior surface of the exterior wall of the manufacturing vessel 416 during an operating cycle to gather data regarding the temperature of the exterior surface of the exterior wall of the manufacturing vessel 416 during an operating cycle. The system 404 may further include one or more interior-view infrared cameras 403 capable of performing one or more infrared scans of the interior surface of the exterior wall of the manufacturing vessel 416 during an operating cycle to gather data regarding the temperature of the interior surface of the exterior wall of the manufacturing vessel 416 during an operating cycle.

In one example, an outside-view infrared camera 422 may be placed at several locations around the exterior wall of the production vessel 416 to strategically measure the temperature of the exterior surface of the exterior wall of the production vessel 416. Temperature measurements during and between operating cycles may be recorded by the outside-view infrared camera 422 and analyzed for thermal inconsistencies. The temperature data collected from the outside-view infrared camera 422 may then be mapped by the processor 412 to identify deteriorated portions of the refractory lining 434.

In another example, the inside-view infrared camera 403 may be positioned at a location that allows for measurement of the temperature of the inner surface of the outer wall of the manufacturing vessel 416. Such locations may include, but are not limited to, the inlet opening 440 of the manufacturing vessel 416, the outlet opening 418 of the manufacturing vessel 416, or any other opening in the structure of the manufacturing vessel 416 known to those skilled in the art to allow the inside-view infrared camera 403 to measure the temperature of the inner surface of the outer wall of the manufacturing vessel 416.

The exterior-view infrared camera 422 may be any infrared camera known to those skilled in the art to be suitable for imaging the exterior surface of the exterior wall of the manufacturing vessel 416 as the temperature of the manufacturing vessel 416 increases during an operating cycle. The interior-view infrared camera 403 may be any infrared camera known to those skilled in the art to be suitable for imaging the interior surface of the exterior wall of the manufacturing vessel 416 as the temperature of the manufacturing vessel 416 increases during an operating cycle.

Temperature data from the exterior-view infrared camera 422 and the interior-view infrared camera 403 may be provided to the computing complex 410 for storage in storage 414 and/or review by the processor 412 with respect to the structural condition of the refractory lining 434. Analysis utilizing ASTM 680-14 or heat transfer calculation software developed for refractory design may be used to calculate the temperature data obtained by the exterior-view infrared camera 422 in terms of thermal resistivity and heat flux, although the embodiments disclosed herein are not so limited. For example, any software or analytical method known to one of ordinary skill in the art to be capable of calculating such temperature data may be utilized.

Temperature measurements from the inside view infrared camera 403 during the operating cycle can serve to complement temperature measurements from the environmental measurement thermocouple 425 or the non-metallic measurement thermocouple 428.

As previously mentioned, if the production vessel 416 is a glass melting furnace or similar vessel used to process glass, radar/tomography scanning via tomography sensor 411 may be used to measure the thickness of the refractory lining 434, detect the incidence of glass infiltration into the refractory lining 434 during the operating cycle, or a combination thereof. The radar/tomography measurements via tomography sensor 411 are taken from the exterior surface of the exterior wall of the production vessel 416. The tomography sensor 411 uses radar wave techniques to identify density differences between the glass being processed and the refractory lining 434 during the operating cycle.

Additionally, the laser scan data, temperature data, radar data, pressure data, gas data, glass pull rate data, or combinations thereof, both described above and below, communicated to the computing complex 410 for reference by the processor 412, may be additionally considered along with other measured predetermined operational parameters stored in storage 414 awaiting communication to and consideration by the processor 412. The measured operational parameters may be provided to the computing complex 410 for reference by the processor 412 through the hardware means previously described, including but not limited to the pressure sensor 407, gas sensor 409, auxiliary thermocouple 402, cycle time recorder 423, tomography sensor 411, laser scanner 420, inside-view infrared camera 403, outside-view infrared camera 422, auxiliary recorder 424, environmental measurement thermocouple 425, and non-metallic measurement thermocouple 428. The predetermined operating parameters may be stored in storage 414 for future reference regarding prediction of future conditions of the refractory lining 434, and may be provided to the computer complex 410 via terminal 406 by user input or by historical data previously processed by the processor 412.

The predetermined operational parameters may include, but are not limited to, historical data relating to one or more refractories applied to one or more previous refractory linings that lined the inside surface of the outer wall of a previous production vessel that handled non-metallic materials, the initial chemical composition and origin of the refractory lining 434, the initial physical design of the refractory lining 434, the grade of non-metallic material desired to be produced during the operating cycle of the production vessel 416, the physical and chemical attributes and amounts of filler or continuously fed mix components added to the production vessel 416 during the operating cycle to produce the desired grade of non-metallic material, and the chemical attributes and amounts of additives, colorants, or combustion gases added to the production vessel 416.

For purposes of this application, the physical design of the refractory lining 434 may include, but is not limited to, the structural details of the refractory lining 434, the shape of the refractory components in the refractory lining 434, the size of the refractory components in the refractory lining 434, and the combination of refractory components in the refractory lining 434.

Additional measured operational parameters may include, but are not limited to, preheat, warm-up, or cool-down temperatures and duration schedules when the production vessel 416 is preheated or warmed up prior to an operational cycle, or when it is cooled after a cycle. Additional measured operational parameters may include cycle time, defined by the cumulative duration of an operational cycle, or any other relevant measured operational parameters identified in a particular non-metallic manufacturing operation.

Using the above data, the processor 412 can calculate the exposure impact of the operational cycle on the refractory lining 434 of the production vessel 416 and predict the future state of the refractory lining 434 after one or more subsequent operational cycles. The exposure impact of the operational cycle on the refractory lining 434 may be calculated by comparing the structural condition of the refractory lining 434 before the operational cycle with the structural condition of the refractory lining 434 after the operational cycle. Based on the calculated exposure impact, the future state of the refractory lining 434 after one or more subsequent operational cycles is predicted. In other words, the exposure impact of the first cycle can be used to predict the future state of the refractory lining 434 after the second cycle, the third cycle, etc. The processor 412 may reference data from all of the data sources mentioned above, but is not limited thereto, and may include other data sources not mentioned herein.

In one example, to supplement predictions of the future condition of the refractory lining 434, the temperature data collected from the outside-view infrared camera 422 and the inside-view infrared camera 403 may be correlated with the structural condition of the refractory lining 434 before, during, and after each operating cycle to supplement the calculation of the exposure effects of the refractory lining 434. This allows for a more accurate prediction of the future condition.

In another example, to supplement the prediction of the future state of the refractory lining 434, the calculation of the exposure impact of the refractory lining 434 may be supplemented by considering the operational influence of one or more of the aforementioned predetermined or measured operational parameters on the exposure impact of the operating cycle on the refractory lining 434 in correlation with the collected structural condition data.

As an example, historical data relating to one or more refractories applied to one or more past refractory linings lined on the inside surface of the outer wall of a past production vessel producing non-metallics can be used to establish a historical pattern of exposure effects. Such historical patterns can complement a comparison of the structural condition of the refractory lining 434 before and after an operating cycle producing non-metallics, and a correlation with that of temperature data collected from the outside-view infrared camera 422 and the inside-view infrared camera 403. Such historical data can be accumulated in the storage 414 of the computer complex 410 after the calculation of the exposure effects to enable the processor 412 to predict with greater accuracy the future state of the subsequent refractory lining after each successive operating cycle.

With respect to using the measured operational parameters to assist in calculating exposure impacts, an environmental measurement thermocouple 425 may be provided to measure the environmental temperature within the manufacturing vessel 416. A non-metal measurement thermocouple 428 may be provided to measure the temperature of the non-metal being processed within the manufacturing vessel 416.

Additionally, auxiliary thermocouples 402 may be provided to measure the temperature of the production vessel 416 when the production vessel 416 is empty and is being preheated or ramped up prior to being filled with non-metallic material, or while the production vessel 416 is being cooled at the end of an operating cycle. The auxiliary thermocouples 402, the environmental measurement thermocouples 425, and the non-metallic measurement thermocouples 428 may provide measured temperatures to the computational complex 410 for consideration by the processor 412 during calculation of exposure effects according to prediction of future conditions of the refractory lining 434.

To monitor the duration of the cycle time, a recording mechanism such as the cycle time recorder 423 featured herein may be used to measure the cumulative contact duration during which the non-metal, coating, or combination thereof is in contact with the refractory lining 434 during an operating cycle.

Furthermore, to monitor the duration of preheating, heating up, or cooling, a recording mechanism such as the auxiliary recording device 424 featured herein may be used to control and record the duration and temperature of the heating up applied to the manufacturing vessel 416 prior to an operating cycle, or the cooling down applied to the manufacturing vessel 416 at the end of an operating cycle. In particular, the duration of the heating up or cooling can be measured by the auxiliary recording device 424 from as little as a few hours to as long as several days. The auxiliary recording device 424 can be incorporated into the gas preheating device along with an automatic gas shutoff device.

An orientation laser 419 may be provided to scan the production vessel 416 to identify the physical orientation of the production vessel 416 prior to the laser scanning of the refractory lining 434 by the laser scanner 420. The scanning performed by the orientation laser 419 assists and helps to improve the accuracy of the laser scanning of the refractory lining 434 performed by the laser scanner 420. The physical orientation of the production vessel 416 relates to the location of the production vessel 416 relative to the process or facility in which the production vessel 416 is used. The orientation laser 419 provides the identified physical orientation of the production vessel 416 to the computing complex 410 for consideration by the processor 412 to determine the correct positioning of the production vessel 416, to aid in accurate calculation of exposure impacts according to prediction of the future state of the refractory lining 434.

More specifically, data from the azimuth laser 419 may enable the processor 412 to calculate thickness measurements from spatial measurements of the surface of the refractory lining 434. Such measurements cannot be derived unless the physical location and orientation of the production vessel 416 is estimated or precisely known. Data from the azimuth laser 419 may enable the processor 412 to precisely know the physical location and orientation of the production vessel 416.

The orientation laser 419 may be positioned anywhere with a safe, unobstructed direct line of sight to the exterior wall of the production vessel 416, such that the orientation laser 419 would be positioned to scan the associated refractory lining location of the production vessel 416. It should also be noted that physical orientation by the orientation laser 419 may be supplemented through data provided by the laser scanner 420 regarding the production vessel 416.

Now referring to Figures 5 and 6, a method 600 is described for predicting the future state of a refractory lining 434 that lines the inside surface of the outer wall of a production vessel 416 and is exposed to an operating cycle during which the refractory lining 434 is exposed to non-metallic materials.

For purposes of the description of method 600, a "manufacturing vessel" may refer to a vessel, such as manufacturing vessel 416, that is exposed to non-metals, and the environment for processing or manufacturing non-metals. Additionally, computing complex 410, including processor 412 and any other control units, allows for control of all processes, including, but not limited to, scanning, measuring, transferring materials to or from manufacturing vessel 416, observing, collecting, determining, predicting, and examining.

In one example, the production vessel 416 may first be scanned by an orientation laser 419 to identify the physical orientation of the production vessel 416 prior to any scanning of the refractory lining 434 by the laser scanner 420. The physical orientation of the production vessel 416 may be referenced by the processor 412 during any further consideration, determination, and prediction by the processor 412 regarding the production vessel 416.

Additionally, after the physical orientation scan and prior to any scan of the refractory lining 434, the preheat, heat-up, and cool-down temperatures and the duration during which the production vessel 416 is preheated or warmed up in preparation for an operational cycle or cooled down after an operational cycle may be measured by the auxiliary thermocouple 402 and recorded by the auxiliary device 424. The temperature data and preheat duration collected by the auxiliary thermocouple 402 and auxiliary device 424, respectively, may be used by the processor 412 as measurement parameters in considering the operational effects of operational parameters related to the high temperature environment for producing nonmetals on the structural condition of the refractory lining 434 after exposure thereto.

Further measurements of operational parameters may be performed during the operational cycle, including, but not limited to, measuring the temperature of the non-metal in the production vessel 416 by a non-metal thermocouple 428, measuring the temperature of the environment in the production vessel 416 by an environment measurement thermocouple 425, and measuring the cumulative contact duration during which the non-metal and the environment are in contact with the refractory lining 434 during heating by a cycle time recorder 423, which are described in detail below. The predetermined operational parameters as described above can be provided to the computing complex 410 at any convenient time. However, as previously described and further described below, any predetermined operational parameters provided to the computing complex 410 will be taken into account by the processor 412 in calculating the exposure effect on the refractory lining 434.

After any additional preparatory steps are completed, a laser scan of the refractory lining 434 of the production vessel 416 is performed prior to the operational cycle (S601). Performing the laser scan prior to the operational cycle may be performed by the laser scanner 420. Performing the laser scan prior to the operational cycle may include collecting data regarding the pre-operation cycle structural condition of the refractory lining 434.

Next, an operating cycle is performed during which the production vessel 416 is filled with a high temperature environment for producing non-metals and then filled with the non-metals produced in the high temperature environment. After the operating cycle is completed, a laser scan of the refractory lining 434 of the production vessel 416 is again performed (S602). Similar to performing the laser scan before the operating cycle, performing the laser scan after the operating cycle can also be performed by the laser scanner 420. Additionally, performing the laser scan after the operating cycle can also include collecting data related to the post-operation cycle structural condition of the refractory lining 434.

After the pre-operation cycle laser scan and the post-operation cycle laser scan, the processor 412 calculates the exposure impact of the operation cycle on the refractory lining 434 (S603). The processor 412 can determine the exposure impact by comparing the collected pre-operation cycle structural condition data with the collected post-operation cycle structural condition data. After calculating the exposure impact of the operation cycle, the processor 412 predicts a future state of the refractory lining 434 after one or more subsequent operation cycles based on the calculated exposure impact of the operation cycle (S604).

This prediction provides vital information to determine whether the production vessel 416 can be used again with the refractory lining 434 or whether the refractory lining 43 needs to be replaced. This can avoid an incident that would cause undue structural damage to the production vessel 416, resulting in less downtime, increased efficiency, and reduced costs.

As an example, one or more infrared scans may be performed by the exterior view infrared camera 422 on the exterior surface of the outer wall of the production vessel 416 during an operational cycle. Through this scan, the exterior view infrared camera 422 can collect data regarding the temperature of the exterior surface detected during the operational cycle, respectively. This temperature data can be correlated with the collected structural condition data to more accurately determine the effects of exposure and predict future conditions, while identifying areas of degradation of the refractory lining 434 based on the calculated exposure effects.

In another embodiment, the calculation of the exposure impact includes considering the operational impact of one or more of the measured or predefined operational parameters on the refractory lining 434 during the operating cycle in correlation with the collected structural condition data, and optionally, in this particular embodiment, in correlation with the collected temperature data from the infrared scan.

The predetermined operating parameters include those previously described herein, but are not limited to the following: historical data regarding one or more refractories applied to one or more previous refractory linings exposed to high temperature environments and non-metals, the initial chemical composition and origin of the refractory lining 434, the initial design of the refractory lining 434, the physical and chemical attributes and amounts of filler or continuously fed mix components added to the production vessel 416 during the operating cycle, and the history of the production vessel 416 during the period in which the refractory lining 434 is lined therein.

The measured operational parameters include those previously described herein, but are not limited to the following: preheat, warm-up or cool-down temperatures and temperature changes measured by auxiliary thermocouple 402, the time period during which changes in the production vessel 416 occur as measured by auxiliary thermocouple 424, temperature measurements of non-metals in the production vessel 416 by non-metal measurement thermocouple 428, temperature measurements of the environment in the production vessel 416 by environment measurement thermocouple 425, temperature measurements of the inner surface of the refractory lining 434 by inside-view infrared camera 403, cumulative contact duration measurements of non-metals and the environment contacting the refractory lining 434 during an operational cycle by cycle time recorder 423, pressure and gas type measurements in the production vessel 416 by pressure sensor 407 and gas sensor 409, respectively, thickness measurements of the refractory lining 434 via radar/tomography scan by tomography sensor 411, glass pull rate measurements calculated by processor 412.

A specific embodiment of the present invention has been described above. It should be understood that this embodiment is described for purposes of example only, and that numerous changes and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. All such modifications and alterations are intended to be included in the present invention insofar as they come within the scope of the invention as claimed or the equivalents thereof.

Claims (18)

1. A measurement system for predicting a future state of a refractory lining that lines an inner surface of an outer wall of a production vessel and is exposed to an operating cycle, comprising:
one or more laser scanners configured to perform one or more pre-operation laser scans of the refractory lining prior to the operational cycle to gather data regarding its structural condition before the operational cycle, and to perform one or more post-operation laser scans of the refractory lining after the operational cycle to gather data regarding its structural condition after the operational cycle;
a processor configured to calculate an exposure impact of the operational cycle on the refractory lining by comparing collected pre-operational cycle structural condition data with collected post-operational cycle structural condition data, and to predict a future state of the refractory lining after one or more subsequent operational cycles based on the calculated exposure impact of the operational cycle;
Including,
the processor is further configured to calculate the exposure impact taking into account operational effects of one or more operational parameters on the refractory lining during the operating cycle in correlation with the collected structural condition data;
The operational parameters are:
historical data relating to one or more refractories applied to one or more previous refractory linings; and
the initial chemical composition and origin of the refractory lining; and
an initial physical design of the refractory lining; and
the physical and chemical attributes and amounts of charge or continuously fed mix ingredients added to the manufacturing vessel during said operating cycle; and
a history of the production vessel during the period in which the refractory lining is lining the inner surface of the outer wall of the production vessel;
Measurement system. one or more outside-view infrared cameras configured to perform one or more infrared scans of an exterior surface of the exterior wall of the manufacturing vessel during the operational cycle to collect temperature data regarding a temperature of the exterior surface during the operational cycle;
the processor is further configured to calculate the exposure impact by correlating the collected temperature data of the exterior surface with the collected structural condition data;
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to map the collected temperature data to identify deteriorated portions of the refractory lining. The system of claim 1 further comprising an auxiliary thermocouple configured to measure a duration of preheating, warming, or cooling while the manufacturing vessel is being preheated or warmed up prior to the operational cycle or while the manufacturing vessel is being cooled after the operational cycle, the duration of preheating, warming, or cooling being one of the operational parameters. The system of claim 1 further comprising a cycle time recorder configured to measure a cumulative contact time during the operational cycle during which the refractory lining is exposed to a high temperature environment, the cumulative contact time being one of the operational parameters. The system of claim 1, further comprising one or more environmental measurement thermocouples configured to measure a temperature of a high temperature environment within the manufacturing vessel during the operational cycle, the measured temperature of the high temperature environment being one of the operational parameters. The system of claim 1, further comprising an orientation laser configured to scan the manufacturing vessel to identify a physical location and orientation of the manufacturing vessel prior to the operational cycle. one or more tomographic sensors configured to perform one or more tomographic scans of the production vessel from an exterior surface of the outer wall of the production vessel during the operational cycle to collect tomographic data related to one or more of:
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to calculate the exposure impact by correlating the collected tomographic data with operational impacts of the collected structural condition data. 1. A method for predicting a future state of a refractory lining that lines an inner surface of an outer wall of a production vessel and is exposed to an operating cycle, comprising:
conducting a pre-operational laser scan of the refractory lining at least once prior to the operational cycle to gather data regarding the pre-operational cycle structural condition;
performing one or more post-operational laser scans of the refractory lining after the operational cycle to collect data regarding the structural condition of the refractory lining after the operational cycle;
calculating, by a processor, an exposure effect of the operational cycle on the refractory lining by comparing the collected pre-operational cycle structural condition data with the collected post-operational cycle structural condition data;
generating, by the processor, a prediction of a future state of the refractory lining after one or more subsequent operating cycles based on the calculated exposure impact of the operating cycle; and
Including,
calculating the exposure impact further comprises considering operational impacts of one or more operational parameters on the refractory lining during the operating cycle in correlation with collected structural condition data;
The operational parameters are:
historical data relating to one or more refractories applied to one or more previous refractory linings; and
the initial chemical composition and origin of the refractory lining; and
an initial physical design of the refractory lining; and
the physical and chemical attributes and amounts of charge or continuously fed mix ingredients added to the manufacturing vessel during the operating cycle; and
and a history of the production vessel during the period that the refractory lining is lining the inner surface of the outer wall of the production vessel. performing one or more infrared scans of an exterior surface of the exterior wall of the manufacturing vessel during the operational cycle to collect data regarding a temperature of the exterior surface during the operational cycle;
9. The method of claim 8, wherein calculating the exposure impact further comprises correlating the collected exterior surface temperature data with collected structural condition data, and mapping the collected temperature data to identify deteriorated portions of the refractory lining. The method of claim 8, further comprising measuring a duration of preheating, warming, or cooling while the manufacturing vessel is preheating or warming up prior to the operational cycle or cooling after the operational cycle, the duration of preheating, warming, or cooling being one of the operational parameters. The method of claim 8, further comprising measuring a cumulative contact time of the operational cycle during which the refractory lining is exposed to a high temperature environment, the cumulative contact time being one of the operational parameters. The method of claim 8, further comprising measuring a temperature of a high temperature environment within the production vessel during the operational cycle, the measured temperature of the high temperature environment being one of the operational parameters. performing one or more tomographic scans from an exterior surface of the outer wall of the production vessel during the operational cycle to collect tomographic data related to one or more of:
The method of claim 8 , wherein calculating the exposure effect further comprises correlating the collected tomography data with the collected structural condition data. 1. A measurement system for predicting a future state of a refractory lining that lines an inner surface of an outer wall of a production vessel and is exposed to an operating cycle, comprising:
one or more laser scanners configured to collect, prior to the operational cycle, data relating to a pre-operational cycle structural condition of the refractory lining, and to collect, after the operational cycle, data relating to a post-operational cycle structural condition of the refractory lining;
a processor configured to calculate an exposure impact of the operational cycle on the refractory lining by comparing collected pre-operational cycle structural condition data with collected post-operational cycle structural condition data, and to predict a future state of the refractory lining after one or more subsequent operational cycles based on the calculated exposure impact of the operational cycle;
Including,
the processor is further configured to calculate the exposure impact taking into account operational effects of one or more operational parameters on the refractory lining during the operating cycle in correlation with the collected structural condition data;
The operational parameters are:
historical data relating to one or more refractories applied to one or more previous refractory linings; and
the initial chemical composition and origin of the refractory lining; and
an initial physical design of the refractory lining; and
the physical and chemical attributes and amounts of charge or continuously fed mix ingredients added to the manufacturing vessel during said operating cycle; and
a history of the production vessel during the period in which the refractory lining is lining the inner surface of the outer wall of the production vessel;
Measurement system. one or more outside-view infrared cameras configured to collect temperature data regarding an exterior surface of the exterior wall during the operational cycle;
the processor is further configured to calculate the exposure impact by correlating the collected temperature data of the exterior surface with the collected structural condition data;
15. The system of claim 14, wherein the processor is further configured to map the collected temperature data to identify deteriorated portions of the refractory lining. 1. A measurement system for predicting a future state of a refractory lining that lines an inner surface of an outer wall of a production vessel and is exposed to an operating cycle, comprising:
a laser scanning means for collecting data relating to a pre-operational cycle structural condition of the refractory lining before the operational cycle and data relating to a post-operational cycle structural condition of the refractory lining after the operational cycle;
processing means for calculating an exposure impact of the operational cycle on the refractory lining by comparing the collected pre-operational cycle structural condition data with the collected post-operational cycle structural condition data; and predicting a future state of the refractory lining after one or more subsequent operational cycles based on the calculated exposure impact of the operational cycle;
Including,
the processing means is further configured to calculate the exposure impact taking into account operational effects of one or more operational parameters on the refractory lining during the operating cycle in correlation with the collected structural condition data;
The operational parameters are:
historical data relating to one or more refractories applied to one or more previous refractory linings; and
the initial chemical composition and origin of the refractory lining; and
an initial physical design of the refractory lining; and
the physical and chemical attributes and amounts of charge or continuously fed mix ingredients added to the manufacturing vessel during said operating cycle; and
a history of the production vessel during the period in which the refractory lining is lining the inner surface of the outer wall of the production vessel;
Measurement system. 1. A measurement system for predicting a future state of a refractory lining that lines an inner surface of an outer wall of a production vessel and is exposed to an operating cycle, comprising:
a means for collecting structural condition data relating to a structural condition of the refractory lining before the operational cycle and collecting structural condition data relating to a structural condition of the refractory lining after the operational cycle;
means for calculating an exposure effect of the operational cycle on the refractory lining by comparing the collected structural condition data before the operational cycle with the collected structural condition data after the operational cycle;
means for predicting a future state of the refractory lining after one or more subsequent operating cycles based on the calculated exposure impact of the operating cycle;
Including,
the means for calculating an exposure impact on the refractory lining of the operational cycle is further configured to calculate the exposure impact taking into account operational impacts of one or more operational parameters on the refractory lining during the operational cycle in correlation with the collected structural condition data;
The operational parameters are:
historical data relating to one or more refractories applied to one or more previous refractory linings; and
the initial chemical composition and origin of the refractory lining; and
an initial physical design of the refractory lining; and
the physical and chemical attributes and amounts of charge or continuously fed mix ingredients added to the manufacturing vessel during said operating cycle; and
a history of the production vessel during the period in which the refractory lining is lining the inner surface of the outer wall of the production vessel;
Measurement system. 1. A method for predicting a future state of a refractory lining that lines an inner surface of an outer wall of a production vessel and is exposed to an operating cycle, comprising:
collecting structural condition data before an operational cycle relating to a structural condition of the refractory lining before the operational cycle and collecting structural condition data after the operational cycle relating to a structural condition of the refractory lining after the operational cycle;
calculating, by a processor, an exposure effect of the operational cycle on the refractory lining by comparing the collected pre-operational cycle structural condition data with the collected post-operational cycle structural condition data;
predicting, by the processor, a future state of the refractory lining after one or more subsequent operating cycles based on the calculated exposure impact of the operating cycle; and
Including,
the processor is further configured to calculate the exposure impact taking into account operational effects of one or more operational parameters on the refractory lining during the operating cycle in correlation with the collected structural condition data;
The operational parameters are:
historical data relating to one or more refractories applied to one or more previous refractory linings; and
the initial chemical composition and origin of the refractory lining; and
an initial physical design of the refractory lining; and
the physical and chemical attributes and amounts of charge or continuously fed mix ingredients added to the manufacturing vessel during said operating cycle; and
and a history of the production vessel during the period that the refractory lining is lining the inner surface of the outer wall of the production vessel.

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