JP5884179B2 - Inspection apparatus and inspection method for molten metal container - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an inspection apparatus and an inspection method for a molten metal container in which a refractory is constructed on the inner surface side of an iron skin forming an outer shell.

  Molten metal containers such as ladle, hot metal ladle, converter, and kneading car are indispensable for moving and refining molten metal such as hot metal and molten steel, and are widely used in fields such as steel industry and metal industry. It is used. The molten metal container is formed by constructing a permanent refractory on the inner surface side of the iron shell forming the outer shell, and constructing a lining refractory on the inner side of the permanent refractory. Permanently tensioned refractories are also called permanent bricks and are usually formed of regular refractories. On the other hand, the lining refractory is also called a work brick and is formed of a fixed refractory or an irregular refractory. Since the lining refractory is melted by direct contact with the molten metal, it is used while being repaired by spraying repair, etc., and when the desired thickness cannot be secured, it is dismantled and a new lining refractory is installed. Is done. For this reason, the technique which measures the remaining thickness of a lining refractory by measuring the temperature of the iron skin of a molten metal storage container using a radiation thermometer conventionally is proposed (refer patent documents 1 and 2). .

JP 2009-19249 A JP 2010-17756 A

  However, in general, the region where the temperature can be measured by the radiation thermometer is narrow. For this reason, when measuring the remaining thickness of the lining refractory using the techniques described in Patent Documents 1 and 2, the location where the lining refractory is likely to be damaged is investigated in advance, and the location where the lining refractory is likely to be damaged Therefore, it is necessary to measure temperature aiming at the region of the iron skin corresponding to the above, which requires a great deal of labor and time. Furthermore, it is not possible to detect the erosion of the lining refractory corresponding to the area of the iron skin that is not subject to temperature measurement. From such a background, it has been expected to provide a technique capable of reliably detecting a melting point of the lining refractory without requiring much labor and time.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide an inspection apparatus and inspection of a molten metal container that can reliably detect a refractory melting point without requiring much labor and time. It is to provide a method.

  The inspection apparatus for a molten metal container according to the present invention is an inspection apparatus for a molten metal container in which a refractory is applied to the inner surface side of the iron skin forming the outer shell, and takes a thermal image of the entire iron skin. A maximum value of the temperature distribution function of the entire iron skin is calculated from a plurality of imaging means and a thermal image of the entire iron skin imaged by the plurality of imaging means, and when the calculated maximum value is a predetermined value or more, An inspection means for determining that there is a possibility that the refractory is melted and outputting predetermined information.

  In the inspection apparatus for a molten metal container according to the present invention, in the above invention, the inspection means includes, as the predetermined information, information relating to a thermal image of the entire iron skin and points in the thermal image indicating a maximum value greater than or equal to a predetermined value. Is output.

  The inspection apparatus for a molten metal container according to the present invention is the above invention, wherein the molten metal container is configured to be movable within a predetermined section, and the inspection means has a temperature in a thermal image of the entire iron skin. When a point equal to or greater than a predetermined measurement threshold is detected, it is determined that a molten metal container has entered the imaging field of view of the plurality of measuring means, and a maximum value is calculated.

  In the inspection apparatus for a molten metal container according to the present invention, in the above invention, the inspection means changes the predetermined measurement threshold according to a moving direction of the molten metal container within a predetermined section.

  An inspection method for a molten metal container according to the present invention is an inspection method for a molten metal container in which a refractory is applied to the inner surface side of an iron skin forming an outer shell, and uses a plurality of photographing means to make an iron Taking a thermal image of the entire skin and calculating a maximum value of the temperature distribution function of the entire iron skin from the thermal image of the entire iron skin measured in the imaging step, and the calculated maximum value is greater than or equal to a predetermined value Determining that there is a possibility that the refractory is melted, and outputting predetermined information.

  According to the inspection apparatus and inspection method for a molten metal container according to the present invention, it is possible to reliably detect a refractory melted portion without requiring much labor and time.

FIG. 1A is a plan view showing a configuration of a ladle crane to which a ladle inspection system according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. FIG. 1B is a side view showing a configuration of a ladle crane to which a ladle inspection system according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a ladle inspection system that is an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing the relationship between the position of the ladle and the imaging direction of the thermoviewer. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of refractory inspection processing according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the temperature distribution function of the iron skin measured by the process of step S5 shown in FIG.

  INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY The present invention can be applied to a refractory inspection process in a molten metal containing container in which a refractory is constructed on the inner surface side of an iron shell that forms an outer shell of a ladle, a hot metal ladle, a converter, a kneading wheel, etc. . Hereinafter, a ladle inspection system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[Configuration of ladle crane]
First, with reference to FIG. 1A and 1B, the structure of the ladle crane to which the ladle inspection system which is one Embodiment of this invention is applied is demonstrated. 1A and 1B are a plan view and a side view, respectively, showing a configuration of a ladle crane to which a ladle inspection system according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. 1A and 1B, the x direction and the y direction indicate the running direction and the traversing direction of the ladle, respectively, and the z direction indicates the vertical direction.

  The ladle crane 1 shown to FIG. 1A, 1B lifts the ladle (ladle) which stored the molten steel, and conveys it to a continuous casting machine. As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, the ladle crane 1 is disposed on runway girders 2a and 2b and runway girders 2a and 2b made of H-shaped steel extending in parallel with each other in the vicinity of the ceiling. Rail 3a, 3b, crane main body 5 which is installed between runway girders 2a, 2b with wheels 4a, 4b riding on rails 3a, 3b, and moves in the traveling direction (x direction); And a hoisting device 7 mounted on the club trolley 6 and a club trolley 6 that moves in a transverse direction (y direction) perpendicular to the traveling direction. The hoisting device 7 moves the ladle 8 engaged with the hook 7a up and down.

  In this ladle crane 1, after the crane main body 5 moves the ladle 8 storing the molten steel from the molten steel replenishment position to the vicinity of the continuous casting machine along the traveling direction, the club trolley 6 continues along the transverse direction. The ladle 8 is moved to the vicinity of the tundish of the casting machine. And the hoisting device 7 injects the molten steel stored inside the ladle 8 into the tundish of the continuous casting machine by tilting the ladle 8. The ladle 8 that has run out of molten steel is returned from the continuous casting machine to the molten steel replenishment position by an operation reverse to the above-described operation.

[Configuration of ladle inspection system]
Next, with reference to FIG. 2, the structure of the ladle inspection system which is one Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a ladle inspection system that is an embodiment of the present invention.

  As shown in FIG. 2, a ladle inspection system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes three thermoviewers 11a, 11b, and 11c, a refractory inspection device 12, and an output device 13 as main components. I have. The thermoviewers 11 a to 11 c take a thermal image of the entire iron skin forming the outer shell of the ladle 8, and output data of the captured thermal image of the entire iron skin to the refractory inspection apparatus 12. The thermoviewers 11a to 11c function as photographing means according to the present invention.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the thermoviewers 11a to 11c are arranged so as to have a positional relationship that is substantially arranged at intervals of 120 degrees on the circumference of a circle R having the ladle 8 as a central position. It is arranged along the traveling direction of the pan 8. Thereby, thermoviewer 11a-11c can measure the thermal image of the perimeter of the ladle 8 which is a column shape. In this embodiment, the number of thermoviewers is three, but the number of thermoviewers is not limited to three, and the number of thermoviewers depends on the viewing angle of the thermoviewer and the positional relationship between the thermoviewer and the ladle. May be changed as appropriate.

  The refractory inspection apparatus 12 is configured by an information processing apparatus such as a workstation or a personal computer, and detects a refractory spot of the refractory lining the ladle 8 by executing a refractory inspection process described later. The refractory inspection apparatus 12 functions as inspection means according to the present invention. The output device 13 is configured by a known output device such as a display device, a printing device, a sound output device, and the like, and notifies the operator of the refractory material being melted according to a control signal from the refractory material inspection device 12.

  In the ladle inspection system 10 having such a configuration, the refractory inspection apparatus 12 executes the refractory inspection process shown below, so that the refractory lining the ladle 8 does not require much labor and time. Reliably detect melted parts of objects. Hereinafter, with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 4, operation | movement of the refractory inspection apparatus 12 at the time of performing a refractory inspection process is demonstrated.

[Refractory inspection processing]
FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of refractory inspection processing according to an embodiment of the present invention. The flowchart shown in FIG. 4 starts at the timing when the operation of the ladle crane 1 is started, and the refractory inspection process proceeds to the process of step S1. The refractory inspection process is repeatedly executed at predetermined control intervals while the ladle crane 1 is operating.

  In step S1, the refractory inspection apparatus 12 determines whether the ladle 8 travels in the continuous casting machine direction. The traveling direction of the ladle 8 can be determined, for example, by detecting an operation signal of an operator who operates the traveling direction of the ladle 8. When the traveling direction of the ladle 8 is the continuous casting machine direction as a result of the determination, the refractory inspection apparatus 12 advances the refractory inspection process to the process of step S2. On the other hand, when the running direction of the ladle 8 is not the continuous casting machine direction, that is, the molten steel replenishment position direction, the refractory inspection apparatus 12 advances the refractory inspection process to the process of step S3.

In the process of step S2, refractory inspection apparatus 12 sets the measurement threshold for ladle 8 determines whether the vehicle has entered into the field of view of the thermoviewer 11a~11c temperature T _A. Thereby, the process of step S2 is completed and a refractory inspection process progresses to the process of step S4.

In the process of step S3, the temperature T _A set in the process of step S2 is a measurement threshold value for the refractory inspection apparatus 12 to determine whether the ladle 8 has entered the imaging field of view of the thermoviewers 11a to 11c. set to a higher temperature _{T B.} Usually, when the ladle 8 is traveling in the direction of the continuous casting machine, much time has not passed since the molten steel was stored in the ladle 8. On the other hand, when the ladle 8 is traveling in the direction of the molten steel supply position, a lot of time has elapsed since the molten steel was stored in the ladle 8.

For this reason, the temperature of the iron skin when the ladle 8 is traveling in the direction of the molten steel supply position is higher than the temperature of the iron skin when the ladle 8 is traveling in the direction of the continuous casting machine. . Therefore, ladle 8 is set to a high temperature T _B than the measurement threshold at which the temperature T _A at which the measurement threshold ladle 8 when running in the molten steel supply position direction is traveling in a continuous casting machine direction Thus, it is possible to accurately detect that the ladle 8 has entered the imaging field of view of the thermoviewers 11a to 11c. Thereby, the process of step S2 is completed and a refractory inspection process progresses to the process of step S4.

  In the process of step S4, the refractory inspection apparatus 12 analyzes the thermal image captured by the thermoviewers 11a to 11c, so that a temperature region equal to or higher than the measurement threshold set by the process of step S2 or step S3 is included in the thermal image. It is discriminated whether or not there is. And the refractory inspection apparatus 12 judges that the ladle 8 entered into the imaging | photography visual field of the thermoviewers 11a-11c, when the temperature area more than a measurement threshold value is in a thermal image, and performs a refractory inspection process of step S5. Proceed to processing.

  In the process of step S5, the refractory inspection apparatus 12 derives the temperature distribution function of the ladle 8 as shown in FIG. 5 from the thermal image of the ladle 8 photographed by the thermoviewers 11a to 11c, and the derived ladle Record 8 temperature distribution function data. Thereby, the process of step S5 is completed and a refractory inspection process progresses to the process of step S6.

In the process of step S6, the refractory inspection apparatus 12 determines whether or not the maximum value of the temperature distribution function derived by the process of step S5 is greater than or equal to the threshold value Tt. As a result of the determination, if the maximum value is equal to or greater than the threshold value Tt, the refractory inspection process proceeds to the process of step S7. On the other hand, when the maximum value is less than the threshold value Tt, the series of refractory inspection processes is terminated. Specifically, when the coordinates of the two-dimensional thermal image of the iron skin are (x, y), the temperature distribution function of the iron skin can be expressed as T (x, y). Therefore, the refractory inspection apparatus 12 calculates a point (x ₀ , y ₀ ) that satisfies the following formulas (1) to (4).

_{However, T x (x 0, y} 0) in Equation _{(1), T y (x} 0, y 0), T xx (x 0, y 0), T yy (x 0, y 0), T xy (X ₀ , y ₀ ) is expressed by the following mathematical formulas (5) to (9).

Here, the point (x ₀ , y ₀ ) satisfying the mathematical expressions (1) to (4) is a point (for example, the point A shown in FIG. 5) indicating the maximum value on the temperature distribution function T. Specifically, Equations (1) and (2) indicate that the first derivative of the temperature distribution function T is 0, that is, the point (x ₀ , y ₀ ) is an extreme value. Equation (3) indicates that the second derivative of the temperature distribution function T is negative, that is, the point (x ₀ , y ₀ ) is a point on a convex surface. In addition, the mathematical formula (4) is not a so-called horse saddle type in which the maximum value is convex upward in the x direction (or y direction) but convex downward in the y direction (or x direction). Is an expression for guaranteeing

  Since the temperature distribution function T is sampled with respect to the coordinate value (x, y) of the two-dimensional thermal image, the partial differentiations shown in the equations (5) to (9) are expressed by the following equations (10) to (10) 14).

  However, when using the formulas (10) to (14), it is not possible to obtain a strict maximum value, so the formulas (1) and (2) are transformed into the following formulas (15) and (16). To do. The parameter ε in the equations (15) and (16) is a small positive real number and is a parameter determined in advance.

In order to prevent detection of minute vibrations in the temperature distribution, when the points (x ₁ , y ₁ ) and (x ₂ , y ₂ ) indicating the maximum values are obtained, the coordinate values of the points are as follows: If the mathematical formula (17) shown is satisfied, it is desirable to delete one point. However, the parameter k in Equation (17) is a real parameter determined in advance.

The refractory inspection apparatus 12 detects the point (x ₀ , y ₀ ) satisfying the equations (1) to (4) from the temperature distribution function T (x, y) as the point where the temperature shows the maximum value. , the temperature _{T (x} 0, _{y 0)} of the point detected _(x 0, _{y 0)} is to determine whether a threshold Tt or more. If the temperature T (x ₀ , y ₀ ) at the point (x ₀ , y ₀ ) is equal to or higher than the threshold Tt as a result of the determination, the refractory inspection process proceeds to the process of step S7. On the other hand, when the temperature T (x ₀ , y ₀ ) at the point (x ₀ , y ₀ ) is less than the threshold value Tt, the refractory inspection apparatus 12 determines that the refractory does not have a melting point, and the series The refractory inspection process is terminated.

In the process of step S7, the refractory inspection device 12 sends the coordinate value (x ₀ , y ₀ ) of the point in the thermal image whose temperature is equal to or higher than the threshold value Tt and the thermal image data of the ladle 8 to the output device 13. By outputting, the operator is informed that the refractory needs to be repaired. According to such processing, the use limit of the refractory can be strictly determined, so that it is not necessary to repair to the use limit of the refractory, and the basic unit of the refractory can be reduced. Thereby, the process of step 7 is completed and a series of refractory inspection processes are complete | finished.

  As is clear from the above description, in the refractory inspection process that is one embodiment of the present invention, the thermoviewers 11a to 11c take a thermal image of the entire iron skin of the ladle 8, and the refractory inspection apparatus 12 When the maximum value of the temperature distribution function of the entire iron skin is calculated from the thermal images of the entire iron skin measured by the thermoviewers 11a to 11c, and the calculated maximum value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the refractory may be damaged. The operator is informed that the refractory is in need of repair. Thereby, the melting point of the refractory lined in the ladle 8 can be reliably detected without requiring much labor and time.

  The embodiment to which the invention made by the present inventors is applied has been described above, but the present invention is not limited by the description and the drawings that constitute a part of the disclosure of the present invention. For example, the refractory inspection apparatus 12 calculates the difference value between the data of the thermal images of the two ladles 8 obtained at different times after combining the coordinate values, and a portion where the difference value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value is calculated. If present, the operator may be notified that the refractory is likely to be melted. As described above, other embodiments, examples, operation techniques, and the like made by those skilled in the art based on the present embodiment are all included in the scope of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Ladle crane 2a, 2b Runway girder 3a, 3b Rail 4a, 4b Wheel 5 Crane body 6 Club trolley 7 Hoisting device 7a Hook 8 Ladle 10 Ladle inspection system 11a, 11b, 11c Thermoviewer 12 Refractory inspection device 13 Output apparatus

Claims (5)

An inspection apparatus for a molten metal container in which a refractory is constructed on the inner surface side of an iron skin forming an outer shell,
A plurality of photographing means for photographing a thermal image ;
The maximum value of the temperature distribution function of the entire iron skin is calculated from the thermal image of the entire iron skin photographed by the plurality of photographing means, and when the calculated maximum value is a predetermined value or more, the refractory is melted. An inspection means for determining that the information may be output and outputting predetermined information;
An apparatus for inspecting a molten metal container, comprising:   2. The molten metal container according to claim 1, wherein the inspection unit outputs, as the predetermined information, information on a thermal image of the entire iron skin and a point in the thermal image showing a maximum value equal to or greater than a predetermined value. Container inspection device. The molten metal container is configured to be movable within a predetermined section, and the inspection unit detects a point where the temperature is equal to or higher than a predetermined measurement threshold in the thermal image captured by the plurality of imaging units. 3. The apparatus for inspecting a molten metal container according to claim 1, wherein the molten metal container is determined to have entered the imaging field of view of the plurality of imaging means, and the maximum value is calculated. The said inspection means changes the said predetermined | prescribed measurement threshold value according to the moving direction of the molten metal storage container in a predetermined area, The inspection apparatus of the molten metal storage container of Claim 3 characterized by the above-mentioned. A method for inspecting a molten metal container in which a refractory is constructed on the inner surface side of an iron skin forming an outer shell,
Taking a thermal image using a plurality of photographing means;
The maximum value of the temperature distribution function of the entire iron skin is calculated from the thermal image of the entire iron skin measured in the photographing step, and if the calculated maximum value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the refractory may be melted. A step of determining that there is a property and outputting predetermined information;
A method for inspecting a molten metal container, comprising:

Images