Estimating the Ore Volume in AC Smelting Furnaces Using Finite-Element Analysis of Surface Current Density

A. Mohammed, and A. Jeremic
McMaster University, Hamilton, L8S4K1, Canada
Published in 2008

One of the primary reasons for large power fluctuations in smelting furnaces is loss of contact between the electrode and ore. Therefore one of the important aspects of controlling power fluctuations is a predictive algorithm for the positioning of the electrode.

We propose a model-based approach – using a COMSOL Multiphysics coupled thermo-electromagnetic model – that estimates the volume ratio of solid and liquid phases of the ore. The resulting estimates can then be used in predictive algorithms for vertical positioning of the electrode since the height of the ore is directly related to the volumes of solid and liquid phases.

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