RU2817250C2 - System for monitoring and assessing state of refractory elements at metallurgical enterprise - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: metallurgy.

SUBSTANCE: system for monitoring and assessing the state of replaceable refractory elements at a metallurgical enterprise comprises identifiable metallurgical containers (1) with replaceable refractory elements (1p), which replace refractory elements (1r) with machine-readable marks (1t) containing identification data of element (1r), station (2) for reading marks (1t), tool (3) for assessing the state of refractory elements connected to container (1), and control unit (4) comprising an electronic processor and connected to station (2) and tool (3). State of plates (1u, 1L, 1m) of slide gate with collector cup (1n) is determined by tool (3). Tool (3) comprises main body (44) with device (9) for sealing the header cup, injection device with pressure regulator (6), device (7) for measuring gas flow rate, connected to controller (8) for receiving data on relative position plates. By processing data of measurement of gas flow rate and relative position of plates of the slide gate, the controller evaluates the wear indices of the plates.

EFFECT: obtaining data on wear of refractory elements in relation to peculiarities of their manufacture and parameters of metal production.

14 cl, 7 dwg

Description

Field of technology

[1] The present invention relates to a system for monitoring and assessing the condition of replaceable refractory elements, such as gate plates, in a metallurgical plant containing metallurgical vessels, such as ladles.

State of the art

[2] In a metallurgical plant, numerous refractory elements are subjected to harsh conditions and wear out over time, requiring frequent replacement. An example of such refractory elements that must be replaced frequently are gate valve plates.

[3] Gate valves are well known in the art. Gate valves are used to control the flow of molten metal poured from an upstream metallurgical vessel into a downstream vessel. For example, from a furnace to a ladle, from a ladle to a tundish, or from a tundish to a mold. For example, US-A-0311902 or US-A-0506328 discloses gate valves located on the bottom of a ladle, in which a pair of refractory gate valve plates, provided with a through hole, are moved relative to each other. When the pouring holes are in register or partially overlapped, molten metal can flow through the gate (the "casting channel" is open), while when there is no overlap between the pouring holes, the flow of molten metal stops completely (the "casting channel" is closed). Partial overlap of the pouring holes allows you to regulate the flow of molten metal by throttling the flow of molten metal. Although gate valves have undergone significant changes in recent decades, the principle of their operation remains the same: one plate moves relative to the other to control the level of overlap between the through holes of the two plates.

[4] JP2008221271 discloses an apparatus for assessing the wear state of gate valve plates in a metallurgical vessel. Such a device can check for signs of excessive wear on the gate plates and therefore alert operators to the need to repair the gate valve by replacing the gate plates. However, the apparatus of the prior art does not allow tracking of gate valve plates after they are placed in metallurgical containers. Although such gate plates may have a tag with an identification number, such a tag will be destroyed or become difficult to read once the molten metal is poured into the metallurgical vessel. This prior art apparatus therefore allows timely decisions to be made about the need to replace a set of gate plates, but does not allow the collection and storage of historical wear data for each gate plate and the association of such historical data, for example, with the manufacturing characteristics of the gate plate, usually associated with the lot number or gate plate identification number. To improve understanding of the impact of refractory element production processes on their application properties, it is desirable to have a system that allows historical data on the condition of a refractory element to be linked with its production characteristics and metal production parameters associated with the use of refractory elements in the metal casting process.

[5] WO 2005/007325 discloses various methods for objectively determining the reuse or disposal of a fire-resistant gate valve plate, for example by comparing the theoretical and actual throttling rates of gate valve openings. However, the described methods are difficult to implement because they require the measurement of several parameters during metal casting, such as the instantaneous flow of molten metal through the gate valve, in order to deduce the actual degree of throttling of the gate gate holes. They also require the calculation of the theoretical instantaneous flow of molten metal based on the laws of physics, so an accurate physical model of the mechanical interactions between the metallurgical vessel, gate valve and molten metal is necessary. Therefore, the methods described in this prior art document are both difficult to implement and have limited accuracy due to imperfections in the physical measurements during metal casting and the approximations in the model used to calculate the theoretical flow of molten metal through the gate. In addition, no method or system is disclosed for automating the collection of condition data of various sets of slabs and storing said condition data in computer memory.

[6] WO 2010/057656 discloses a monitoring system and method for actively monitoring specific data about systems or components of a metallurgical system. This method uses RFID tags attached to individual components or systems in the smelter and is therefore not applicable to refractory components such as gate plates that are subject to the thermal, mechanical and chemical attack of molten metal. RFID tags placed on gate plates do not really withstand metal casting operations and therefore cannot be used to track gate plates during application. Additionally, this document does not disclose any system or method for actually assessing the condition of refractory elements such as gate valve plates.

The essence of the invention

[7] The object of the present invention is to provide a system for monitoring and assessing the condition of replaceable refractory elements in a metallurgical plant, providing insight into historical wear data of refractory elements in association with the manufacturing characteristics of said refractory elements and metal production parameters associated with the use of refractory elements in metal casting process.

[8] The present invention is defined in the accompanying independent claims. Preferred embodiments are defined in the dependent claims. In particular, a system for monitoring and assessing the condition of replaceable refractory elements at a metallurgical plant contains:

a) a plurality of identifiable metallurgical vessels, such as ladles, wherein each of said identifiable metallurgical vessels contains replaceable refractory elements, such as gate plates;

b) a plurality of replacement refractory elements, wherein each replacement refractory element includes a machine-readable identification mark containing identification data of the refractory element;

c) a reading station, such as an RFID workstation, for reading the machine-readable identification tags of the replacement refractory element located in the reading area of the reading station;

d) a refractory condition tool for assessing the condition of refractory elements connected to any of the specified metallurgical vessels;

e) a monitoring unit configured to connect to a reading station and a tool for determining the condition of refractories, wherein the monitoring unit is configured to:

i. receiving from a tool for determining the state of refractories data on the state of at least one refractory element attached to one of the specified metallurgical containers;

ii. receiving identification data of said metallurgical container;

iii. storing in a refractory condition database said condition data in association with identification data of said metallurgical container;

iv. making a decision on the need to replace the refractory element based on the specified status data (“PASS OR NOT PASS”), and if it is necessary to replace the refractory element (“NOT PASS”), the control unit is configured to:

a. checking that the identification data of the refractory element received from the reading station matches the identification data of the replacement refractory element replacing the at least one refractory element;

b. association in the refractory condition database of said refractory element identification data with the identification data of said metallurgical container (1).

[9] In an advantageous embodiment, the control unit comprises a human-machine interface or HMI, wherein said HMI is configured to inform a human operator whether or not the refractory element needs to be replaced.

[10] In an advantageous embodiment, when a refractory element is to be replaced, the HMI is configured to request that a human operator confirm that the refractory element identity received by the reading station matches the identity of the replacement refractory element replacing the at least one fireproof element.

[11] In an advantageous embodiment, each metallurgical container contains a machine-readable mark, and the control unit is configured to read such a machine-readable mark when the metallurgical container is in the detection zone of the control unit.

[12] In an advantageous embodiment

i. the control unit is configured to associate, by default, in the refractory state database, the identification data of the refractory element for the replacement refractory element located in the reading zone of the reading station with the identification data of the metallurgical container located in the detection zone of the control unit;

ii. The HMI is designed in such a way that a human operator can change the default association.

[13] In an advantageous embodiment, the control unit controls a robotic system configured to perform one or more of the following manipulations: manipulating replacement refractory elements, placing a replacement refractory element in the reading area of the reading station, removing a spent refractory element from a metallurgical vessel, attaching a replacement refractory element to the metallurgical container, attaching and detaching a tool to determine the condition of the refractories to the metallurgical container.

[14] In an advantageous embodiment, the reading station is an RFID workstation and the replacement refractory elements contain RFID tags.

[15] In an advantageous embodiment, the identification data of the metallurgical containers is included in two-dimensional bar codes located on the ladle tapholes, wherein said control unit is configured to read such two-dimensional bar codes.

[16] In an advantageous embodiment, the control unit is configured to store, in said refractory status database, refractory production data in association with said refractory identification data, said refractory production data comprising at least one of the following data:

• fireproof material;

• parameters of the refractory production process, such as temperature, pressure and duration of various production stages;

• date of production of refractories.

[17] In an advantageous embodiment, the control unit is configured to store, in said refractory status database, metal production process data in association with identification data of said metallurgical vessel, said metal production process data comprising at least one of the following data:

• type of metal poured into the specified metallurgical container and grade of metal;

• the type of various refractories used in the metallurgical container;

• frequency and/or duration of metallurgical vessel downtime(s);

• characteristics of the final product of the metal production process;

• pouring time;

• temperature of castings;

• thermal chemistry;

• date/time of installation of the new fire-resistant element(s);

• number of castings with the same refractory element(s).

[18] In an advantageous embodiment, the system according to the invention comprises a computing unit, wherein said computing unit is configured to calculate coefficients of a predictive machine learning model for refractory condition data, wherein said computing unit is configured to

i. generating a set of training examples based on the data of the specified database of the state of refractories, with each training example containing:

1. training example input data based on at least one parameter extracted from refractory manufacturing data and/or at least one parameter extracted from metal manufacturing process data;

2. output of a training example based on at least one parameter extracted from the refractory condition data;

ii. training a predictive machine learning model based on training examples.

[19] In an advantageous embodiment, the refractory condition assessment tool is a slab condition tool for measuring condition data of gate valve plates connected to the gate valve of a metallurgical vessel, such as a ladle, wherein said gate valve includes a manifold nozzle protruding from an outer the walls of said gate valve, wherein said gate valve is configured to switch between an open and closed configuration by sliding at least two plates of the gate gate relative to each other, wherein said collector cup is in fluid communication with the casting channel of said metallurgical container, when said gate valve is in an open configuration, said slab condition tool comprising:

• a main body containing a sealing device for at least partially sealing the collector cup;

• a gas injection device comprising a pressure regulator for injecting gas into the manifold cup through the sealing device at a target pressure;

• a gas flow measuring device for measuring the flow of gas injected by the gas injection device;

• a controller communicatively connected to the gas flow measuring device and configured to receive input data relating to the relative position of the gate valve plates.

[20] In an advantageous embodiment, the controller is configured to store in said controller a gas flow rate (GF) required to achieve a target pressure and a relative position (RP) of the gate plates as a function of a time variable.

[21] In an advantageous embodiment, the controller is configured to process a gas flow function (GF) so as to extract a first value by calculating the derivative of said function and a second value by calculating the integral of said function.

Brief description of graphic materials

[22] These and other aspects of the invention will be explained in more detail by example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

in fig. 1a) and 1b) respectively show the first and second embodiments of a system in accordance with the invention;

in fig. 2a) and 2b) represent the interactions between the control unit and other components in the embodiments according to FIG. 1a) and 1b);

in fig. 3 shows an example illustrating how the refractory status database can be updated by the monitoring unit;

in fig. 4a) shows a two-slab, and in Fig. 4b) three-plate gate valve of a metallurgical container;

in fig. 5 is a schematic view of the main components of one example of a slab condition tool for use in a system in accordance with the invention;

in fig. 6 is a perspective view of the bottom of a ladle containing a gate valve to which is connected a tool for determining the condition of the plates of a system in accordance with the invention;

in fig. 7a) and 7b) show graphs of parameters monitored by a tool for determining the condition of slabs in accordance with the invention.

The figures shown are not to scale.

Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments

[23] In FIG. 1a) shows a first embodiment of a system in accordance with the present invention. Bucket 1 lies on its side in the workshop, where it is checked for worn elements and for restoration.

[24] According to one essential feature of the present invention, the ladle 1 belongs to a collection of metallurgical vessels, in which each metallurgical vessel is identifiable, which means that each metallurgical vessel of the collection can be distinguished from others. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1a), the ladle 1 carries a unique identification number N°### on its outer wall so that it can be identified, for example, by a human operator 11. Alternatively, the metallurgical container may carry an RFID tag or bar code such as a QR code. code.

[25] According to another essential feature of the present invention, the ladle 1 contains replaceable refractory elements such as gate valve plates 1p. 1p gate valve plates must be replaced at short intervals due to the mechanical and thermal limitations under which they operate. Therefore, the gate valve plates 1p are advantageously mounted on the gate valve of the ladle 1 by means of a reversible mechanical connection. The slide valve plate 1p can, for example, be clamped in the slide valve cradle so that it can be changed from time to time by a human or robot operator. Other fire-resistant elements of the gate valve, such as the manifold bowl or the internal nozzle, can also be replaced if necessary.

[26] In FIG. 1a) human operator 11 stands next to a stack of replacement refractory elements 1r. Each replacement refractory element 1r carries a machine-readable tag (not shown), such as an RFID tag or bar code. A human operator 11 interacts with a reading station 2 configured to read machine-readable identification marks of a replacement refractory element 1d located in the reading area 21 of the reading station 2. The system according to the present invention also includes a tool for determining the condition of refractories 3 for assessing the condition of refractory elements such such as gate valve plates 1p, metallurgical container 1. The tool for determining the state of refractories 3 is advantageously designed to measure physical parameters, on the basis of which the wear state of the refractory element 1p can be determined. In particular, the refractory condition detection tool 3 must be able to determine when a refractory element is in a state of excessive wear to the point that it needs to be replaced. Document JP2008221271 discloses, for example, such a tool for determining the condition of refractories 3 for assessing the wear condition of gate valve plates of a metallurgical vessel. Other examples of tools for determining the condition of refractories will be presented later in this text.

[27] According to another essential feature of the invention, the system contains a control unit 4. The control unit 4 is configured to connect to a reading station 2 and to a tool for determining the condition of refractories 3. The control unit 4 is configured to receive data from the tool for determining the condition of refractories 3 about the state of at least one refractory element connected to the metallurgical vessel 1. After receiving them, the state data is stored by the control unit 4 in the refractory state database in association with the identification data of the metallurgical vessel 1. The control unit 4 is also configured to determine the need or absence the need to replace the refractory element 1p based on the specified condition data and make the appropriate decision “PASS” or “FAIL”. The control unit 4 contains at least one processor and preferably a memory. Such a processor may be located on the metallurgical plant floor, in close proximity to other components of the system according to the invention, such as a reading station 2 and a refractory status tool 3. The refractory status tool 3 is then advantageously coupled in communication with a monitoring unit 4 using a wired connection as shown in FIG. 1a), or via a wireless connection as shown in FIG. 1b) (antenna "c").

[28] Alternatively, the control unit 4 can be located remotely and can communicate, via a wired or wireless connection, with other components of the system according to the invention via a computer network thanks to a communication protocol such as TCP/IP. It may also comprise a plurality of processors, at least some of these processors being embedded in other components of the system, such as a reading station 2 or a refractory status tool 3. A refractory status database may be stored in a memory of the monitoring unit 4. Alternatively, A refractory condition database can be a central database hosted on a remote server that collects refractory condition data from various metallurgical plants.

[29] In the embodiment according to FIG. 1a), the tool for determining the condition of the refractories 3 and the replacement refractory elements 1r are manipulated by a human operator 11. In this embodiment, the human operator 11 is responsible for placing the replacement refractory element 1r in the reading area 21 of the reading station 2. Removing the spent refractory element 1p from the metallurgical container 1 and the connection of a replacement refractory element to the metallurgical container 1 in the event of a "NOT GO" decision from the control unit 4 is also performed manually by a human operator 11. In this embodiment, the control unit 4 predominantly contains a human-machine interface (HMI) 41 for organizing interaction between the system according to the present invention and the human operator 11. Said HMI 41 is advantageously configured to inform the human operator 11 whether or not it is necessary to replace the refractory element 1p by displaying, for example, a message on the screen. The HMI 41 is advantageously connected communicatively to the control unit 4 by a wired connection, as shown in FIG. 1a). Alternatively, HMI 41 may be in wireless communication with control unit 4. In yet another embodiment, HMI 41 may be integrated into control unit 4 such that they share at least one common electronic processor.

[30] As explained above, the identification data of the metallurgical vessel 1 is data associated with the metallurgical vessel 1 that allows such metallurgical vessel 1 to be distinguished from other metallurgical vessels in the foundry. As shown in FIG. 1a), they may correspond to a unique identification number N°### on the outer wall of the metallurgical vessel 1. In this embodiment, the HMI 41 may be configured to receive from the operator 11 the identification number N°### of the metallurgical vessel 1 currently in use. time on the shop floor. Alternatively, the metallurgical container 1 may have a machine-readable tag, such as an RFID tag, as shown in FIG. 1b) (antenna "a"). In this embodiment, the control unit 4 is configured to read the RFID tag of the metallurgical vessel 1 to obtain its identification data when the metallurgical vessel 1 is in the detection zone 42 of the control unit 4. It is important to note that in this text, the unique identification number or machine-readable tag may be located on a replaceable part of the metallurgical container 1, such as a gate valve 1v, provided that such replaceable part has a service life on the metallurgical container 1 that is at least an order of magnitude greater than the service life of the refractory element 1p. The identification number of such a replacement part can be considered as identification data of the metallurgical vessel when implementing the system according to the invention.

[31] If the control unit 4 determines that the refractory element 1p needs to be replaced or, in other words, decides "NO GO", the control unit 4 will then ensure that the identification data of the refractory element received from the reading station 2 matches the identification data of the replacement a refractory element replacing at least one refractory element 1p. The control unit 4 is configured to further associate such identification data of the refractory element with the identification data of the metallurgical container 1 in the refractory state database.

[32] The present invention also relates to a method implemented by at least one processor of the control unit 4, the method comprising the following steps:

i. receiving from the tool for determining the state of refractories 3 data on the state of the refractory element 1p attached to the identified metallurgical container 1;

ii. receiving identification data of the metallurgical container 1;

iii. storing in a refractory condition database said condition data in association with identification data of said metallurgical container 1;

iv. making a decision on the need to replace the refractory element 1p based on the specified status data (“GOOD OR NOT PASS”), and if it is necessary to replace the refractory element 1p (“NOT GOOD”), the control unit 4 is configured to implement the following steps:

a. checking that the identification data of the refractory element received from the reading station 2 matches the identification data of the replacement refractory element replacing the at least one refractory element 1p;

b. association in the refractory state database of the specified identification data of the refractory element with the identification data of the specified metallurgical container 1.

[33] The method described above is advantageously performed on a set of identifiable metallurgical containers 1 and repeated at regular time intervals.

[34] When a human operator is responsible for manipulating the replacement refractory elements 1r and attaching them to various metallurgical containers, verifying that the identification data of the refractory element received from the reading station 2 matches the identification data of the replacement refractory element replacing the refractory element 1p requires input from a human operator 11.

[35] The HMI 41 is advantageously configured to request that, when the refractory element 1p is to be replaced, the human operator 11 confirms that the identification data of the refractory element received by the reading station 2 matches the identification data of the replacement refractory element replacing the spent refractory element 1p . In one embodiment, the HMI 41 may be configured to request that when the refractory element 1p is to be replaced, the human operator 11 has confirmed that the replacement refractory element 1d currently located in the reading area 21 of the reading station 2 matches the refractory element which he intends to attach to the metallurgical vessel 1, in replacement of the spent refractory element 1p. The human operator 11 may, for example, be asked to press a button on a keyboard to confirm that the refractory element identification just received by the reading station 2 from the replacement refractory element 1d in the reading area 21 matches the identification of the refractory element to be attached to the metallurgical containers with 1 human operator.

[36] In another embodiment, when the metallurgical containers carry RFID tags and the monitoring unit 4 is configured to extract the identification data of the metallurgical container from such RFID tags, the monitoring unit 4 may be configured to associate, by default, in the refractory status database, the identification data of the refractory element for the replacement refractory element 1d placed in the reading area 21 of the reading station 2, with the identification of the metallurgical vessel 1 located in the RFID detection area 42 of the control unit 4. In this configuration, the human operator 11 will be trained to place the replacement refractory element 1d only after acceptance decisions "NOT GO" by the control unit 4 for the metallurgical vessel 1. In this embodiment, the placement of the replacement refractory element 1d in the reading area 21 of the reading station 2 is indeed considered by the control unit 4 as confirmation by the operator that the refractory element 1d replaces the refractory element 1p in the metallurgical vessel 1. However, HMI 41 is advantageously designed in such a way that a human operator can change the default association. This will allow the human operator 11 to correct the default association if he accidentally placed a replacement refractory 1d in the readout zone 21 while the control unit 4 finally issues a "GO" decision for the metallurgical vessel 1 currently in the shop.

[37] In FIG. 1b) shows an embodiment of the invention in which the system is configured to operate in an automated configuration, with limited human intervention or even without the participation of a human operator 11. In this case, the control unit 4 can control the robotic system 5. Such robotic system 5 is advantageously configured with the possibility of performing one or more manipulations that must be organized by the operator 11 in the embodiment according to FIG. 1a), including: handling the replacement refractory elements 1r, placing the replacement refractory element 1r in the reading area 21 of the reading station 2, removing the spent refractory element 1p from the metallurgical vessel 1, attaching the replacement refractory element 1r to the metallurgical vessel 1, attaching and detaching the detection tool state of refractories 3 to metallurgical container 1.

[38] In FIG. 2a) and 2b) briefly describe the interactions between the control unit 4 and other components in the embodiments according to FIG. 1a) and 1b). In these figures, "RC Db" means "refractory condition database". As shown in FIG. 1b) and 2b), in the case of a fully automated system configuration according to the invention, the various metallurgical containers advantageously carry a machine-readable tag (antenna "a"), so that the identification data of the metallurgical container 1 contained in the machine-readable tag can be read by the control unit 4 when the metallurgical vessel 1 is located in the static detection zone 42. Alternatively, the robotic system 5 may be configured to read a machine-readable tag of the metallurgical vessel 1 due to a suitable reading system integrated into the robotic system 5, such as a machine vision system or an RFID reading station.

[39] In FIG. 3 is an example illustrating how the refractory status database can be updated by the monitoring unit 4 for a ladle whose identification data is L1234. Successive checks of the condition of refractories RCT 1-9 at different points in time using the refractory condition tool 3 provide data on the condition of the refractories and a PASS or FAIL decision from the control unit 4. Initially, a refractory element with identification data R111 is attached to bucket L1234. As presented, the first two refractory condition checks RCT 1, RCT 2 result in a PASS decision as they reflect that refractory element R111 does not show signs of excessive wear. On the other hand, the third test of RCT 3 refractories results in a "NO PASS" decision. This "NO GO" decision causes the replacement of refractory element R111 with a replacement refractory element R344, the identification of which is received by control unit 4 from reading station 2. Monitoring unit 4 then links subsequent condition checks of refractories RCT 4-7 with this new refractory element R344, up to refractory condition check RCT 7, which determines that the refractory element R344 must be replaced, since a decision is “NO PASS”. The same updating process can be applied by the control unit 4 to different metallurgical vessels 1 of the metallurgical plant. The refractory condition database may also collect refractory condition data from various smelters, each of which contains a system in accordance with the present invention.

[40] A refractory condition database, updated by at least one monitoring unit 4, allows refractory elements used in one or more metallurgical plants to be sequentially tracked and associated with each of them with condition data measured at successive time intervals. With the system of the present invention, such a valuable database can be created despite the fact that the identification marks applied to the refractory elements cannot be accessed or even destroyed after they have been used in the metallurgical container.

[41] While this refractory health database allows individual tracking of different refractory elements in a smelter and can be integrated into, for example, supply chain applications for metal foundries, it can also be used to create a computational model of the behavior of 1p, 1r refractory elements at a metallurgical plant. For this purpose, data on the production of refractories, such as the refractory material or some parameters of the refractory production process, such as temperature, pressure and duration of the various stages of refractory production, can be stored in the refractory status database, preferably by the control unit 4, in connection with the identification data of the corresponding fireproof element. Such refractory production data may, for example, be retrieved from a refractory production database by virtue of the refractory identification data and/or the batch number and/or production time associated with the refractory element.

[42] Data about the metal production process can also be stored, preferably by the control unit 4, in a refractory condition database. Such metal production data may be associated with identification data of the corresponding metallurgical vessel 1 and advantageously comprises at least one of the following data: the type of metal poured into the metallurgical vessel 1, the type of various refractories used in the metallurgical vessel 1, frequency and/or duration downtime of metallurgical containers, characteristics of the final product of the metal production process. If the controlled refractory elements 1p are slide gate plates, the metal production process data also predominantly contains the time of use of the plates in a worn state. To do this, the time of complete closing and the time of complete opening of the gate valve plates can be subtracted from the total casting time, since in these two positions the plates are subject to little or no wear. Alternatively, data on the number of relative movements performed by the gate plates of the metallurgical vessel 1 may also be stored and associated with the identification data of the corresponding metallurgical vessel 1.

[43] In an advantageous embodiment, the system according to the present invention comprises a computing unit configured to train a predictive machine learning model for refractory condition data, such as a (deep) neural network model or a probabilistic graphical model, wherein said computing unit is configured to

i. generating a set of training examples based on the data of the specified database of the state of refractories, with each training example containing:

• training example input data based on at least one parameter extracted from refractory manufacturing data and/or at least one parameter extracted from metal manufacturing process data;

• output of a training example based on at least one parameter extracted from the refractory condition data;

ii. training a predictive machine learning model based on training examples.

[44] As explained above, the refractory members 1r, 1p may be gate valve plates. Such gate valve plates 1r, 1p are important parts in the metallurgical vessel gate gate 1v. The gate valve can be a two- or three-plate gate valve. As shown in FIG. 4a) the double-plate gate valve includes an upper gate plate 1u and a lower gate plate 1L, and a three-plate gate valve, as shown in FIG. 2b), further comprises a middle gate valve plate 1m located between the upper and lower gate valve plates 1u, 1L.

[45] The gate plate includes a sliding surface 1s separated from the second surface 1d by the thickness of the gate plate and connected to each other by a peripheral edge. It also contains a through hole 1b running normal to the sliding surface. The second surface 1d of the middle plate of the gate valve 1m is also a sliding surface. Each of the top, bottom and optionally middle plates of the gate valve are connected to a receiving cradle 1c of a corresponding support frame of the top, bottom and optionally middle plate 11t, 11L, 11m, wherein at least one sliding surface 1s of one plate is in sliding contact with the sliding surface 1s of the second plate.

[46] The support frame of the upper plate 11u is fixed relative to the metallurgical vessel, and the upper plate of the gate valve 1u is generally connected to the inner shell of the metallurgical vessel. In a double plate gate valve (see FIG. 4(a)), the support frame of the bottom plate 11L is a movable carriage that can be linearly moved driven by a pneumatic or hydraulic piston 17 so that the sliding surface of the bottom plate of the gate valve slides in contact with the sliding surface of the top plate of the gate valve and relative to it. In a three-plate gate valve, the support frame of the lower plate 11L is fixed relative to the support frame of the upper plate and the metallurgical vessel. The middle plate support frame 11m is a movable carriage suitable for sliding two sliding surfaces of the gate valve middle plate over and relative to the sliding surfaces of the gate valve upper and lower plates, respectively. As is known in the art, sliding linear movement of the sliding surface of the gate valve plate relative to the sliding surface of the upper gate plate and, optionally, the lower gate plate in a three-plate gate valve allows the level of overlap between the through holes 2b of the two (or three) plates to be controlled.

[47] As explained above, gate valve plates must be replaced at short intervals due to the mechanical and thermal limitations under which they operate. In particular, their sliding surfaces 1s may wear out and/or their through holes 1b may enlarge after several casting operations. In order to decide whether it is necessary to replace the gate valve plates, it is necessary to first assess their wear state. In the present invention, the tool for determining the condition of the refractories 3 may be a tool for determining the condition of the plates to evaluate, by checking the condition of the plates, the wear state of the gate valve plates while the plates are still connected to the gate valve of the metallurgical vessel 1.

[48] As shown in FIG. 5, the tool for determining the condition of plates 3 in accordance with the present invention has a main body 44 containing a sealing device 9 for sealing at least partially the manifold cup 1n of the gate valve 1v in the metallurgical vessel 1. The function of the sealing device 9 is to counteract the resistance , sometimes inaccurately called "back pressure", the displacement of gas attempting to flow out of the collector cup 1n. The sealing device 9 may include a seal holder for holding the seal pressed against the manifold cup 1n by the actuator. In another embodiment, the sealing device may be a cap screwed onto the threads of the collector cup 1n. In yet another embodiment, the sealing device may comprise a cap, chemically sealed, for example by cement, with a collector cup 1n. In a preferred embodiment, the sealing device is designed to seal the collector cup 1n perfectly hermetically. However, a perfect seal is not necessary to perform a slab condition test using the slab condition tester of the invention. The tool for determining the condition of the plates 3 can be used, for example, even if the collector cup 1n is damaged, to which the sealing device 9 can no longer be sealed.

[49] One of the essential features of the present invention is a gas injection device comprising a pressure regulator 6 for injecting gas into the manifold cup 1n through the sealing device 9 at a target pressure. A pressure regulator is a control valve configured to accept gas at an inlet pressure and reduce such inlet pressure to a desired target pressure value upon its outlet. In the present invention, the pressure regulator 6 may be, for example, an electronic proportional pressure regulator configured to receive compressed air at a pressure of 6 bar from a high pressure air source and regulate the gas flow between its inlet and outlet so as to maintain a target pressure of 1.5 bar upon his exit. The gas injection device is advantageously configured to inject gas into the passage opening of the sealing device 9 due to the supply channel.

[50] Another essential feature of the present invention is the presence of a gas flow measuring device 7, or a flow meter 7, configured to measure the flow of gas injected by the gas injection device into the collector nozzle 1n. As shown in FIG. 5, such a gas flow measuring device 7 is advantageously installed between the pressure regulator 6 and the sealing device 9, so that the gas coming from the outlet of the pressure regulator 6 flows through the gas flow measuring device 7 before entering the collector nozzle 1n.

[51] A third essential feature of the present invention is a controller 8 communicatively connected to a gas flow measuring device 7 and configured to receive input data relating to the relative position of the gate plates. Such a controller is advantageously an electronic controller, for example a PLC, configured to store in said controller's memory values of (i) gas flow and (ii) the relative position of the gate plates at successive time intervals. In an advantageous embodiment, the controller 8 is connected in communication with the pressure regulator 6. The controller 8 is a central unit that controls the pressure regulated by the pressure regulator 6, the gas flow measured by the flow meter 7, and the relative position of the gate plates 1u, 1L, 1m. In an advantageous embodiment, the controller 8 is further configured to control the relative sliding movement of the gate plates 1u, 1L, 1m by actuating the pneumatic or hydraulic piston 17. In such a configuration, the controller 8 will be able to independently initiate the relative sliding movement of the gate plates 1u, 1L, 1m required to conduct a full inspection of the condition of the slabs. In an advantageous embodiment, the controller 8 is configured to implement a check of the state of the plates during movement of the gate valve 1v from a closed configuration to an open configuration.

[52] By processing the gas flow measurement data as well as the relative position data of the gate valve plates 1u, 1L, 1m, the controller 8 will be able to estimate the indicators related to the wear status of the gate valve plates 1u, 1L, 1m. The gas flow rate measured by the flow meter 7 during the relative displacement of the gate valve plates is indeed highly correlated with the amount of gas flowing through the gate valve 1v. As explained above, when the gate plates are in an ideal condition (no wear), fluid can flow through the gate valve only when there is at least partial overlap between the through holes 1b of the gate plates 1u, 1L, 1m. Since the through holes 1b of the gate valve plates in the ideal state have a known diameter, the gas flow profile has a shape with a sharp change at a known relative position of the gate valve plates. Such a sudden change in gas flow is actually observed at the position in which the through holes 1b begin or stop closing, depending on whether the gate valve 1v was initially in a closed gate (sharp increase) or open gate (sharp decrease) configuration.

[53] Such a sudden change in gas flow is illustrated in FIG. 7a), which shows a plot of gas flow GF versus a time variable when the relative position RP of the gate valve plates changes from a closed valve configuration to an open configuration. The initial peak S1 corresponds to the gas flow required to increase the pressure in the collector glass 1n. The sharp increase S2 in gas flow corresponds to the relative position of the gate valve 1v, at which the through holes 2b begin to overlap. The NP graph shows the gas pressure controlled by pressure regulator 6, which reaches its target value of 1.5 bar after the initial gas flow peak S1.

[54] In FIG. 7b) shows the same graphs as in Fig. 7a), but this time for worn slabs. Worn plates are characterized by eroded sliding surfaces 1s and/or enlarged through holes 1b. In the case of eroded surfaces 1s, the sharp increase S2 in gas flow is preceded by a slight increase in M1, reflecting the leakage that occurs when the through holes 1b are in fluid communication before they begin to close. A shift to the left from a sharp increase in S2 can also be observed when the through holes 1b in the worn plates have widened. The slab condition tool 3 with its controller 8 allows these GF plot changes to be detected and quantified.

[55] In one embodiment, the controller 8 may be configured to quantify the leakage due to erosion of the sliding surfaces 1s by calculating the area under the gas flow rate graph GF, or in other words, the integral of the gas flow rate with respect to the time variable. To obtain a meaningful physical indicator related to leakage due to erosion, it is advantageous to put such an integral into perspective, for example, normalize it with the sliding speed of the sliding gate plate during the specified test. On the other hand, the increase in the through holes 1b in said plates can be quantified by estimating the offset of the sharp increase S2. In one embodiment, the position of the sharp increase in S2 can be found by calculating the derivative of the gas flow rate GF plot and looking for local maxima of this derivative. The relative positions of gate valve plates 1u, 1L, 1m can be related to this sharp increase in S2 by using the RP plot.

[56] In order to plot RP of the relative position of the gate plates 1u, 1L, 1m and extract the physical indicators described above, the controller 8 must receive an electronic signal associated with the specified relative position. In one embodiment, such an electronic signal may be provided by a range finder configured to measure the displacement of the movable gate plate 1L, 1m. Alternatively, such an electronic signal may be obtained directly from the control system of the pneumatic or hydraulic piston 17 driving the movable carriage 11L, 11m of the gate valve 11. However, this embodiment is only beneficial if the control system can determine with reasonable accuracy position of the movable plate of the gate valve 1L, 1m.

Claims (51)

1. A system for monitoring and assessing the condition of replaceable refractory elements at a metallurgical plant, containing: a) a plurality of identifiable metallurgical containers (1), such as ladles, wherein each of said identifiable metallurgical containers contains replaceable refractory elements (1p), such as gate valve plates; b) a plurality of replacement refractory elements (1r), wherein each replacement refractory element includes a machine-readable identification mark (1t) containing identification data of the refractory element; c) an RFID reading station (2) in the form of an automated workstation, for reading the machine-readable identification marks (1t) of the replacement refractory element (1d) located in the reading area (21) of the reading station (2); d) a refractory condition assessment tool (3), configured to assess the condition of refractory elements attached to any of the identifiable metallurgical containers (1), wherein the refractory condition assessment tool is a refractory condition assessment tool (3) for measuring data plates about the state of the plates (1u, 1L, 1m) of the gate valve connected to the gate gate (1v) of the metallurgical container (1), containing a collector glass (1n) made protruding from the outer wall of the specified gate valve (1v), made with the possibility of switching between the open and closed configurations by shifting at least two plates of the gate valve relative to each other, while the specified glass collector (1n) is made in fluid communication with the casting channel of the metallurgical container (1) when the gate gate (1v) is in the open configuration , while the specified tool (3) for determining the state of the slabs contains: i. a main body (44) containing a sealing device (9) for at least partially sealing the collector cup (2n); ii. a gas injection device comprising a pressure regulator (6) for injecting gas into the collector cup (1n) through the sealing device (9) at a target pressure; iii. a gas flow measuring device (7) for measuring the flow of gas injected by the gas injection device; iv. a controller (8) connected to a gas flow measuring device (7) and configured to receive input data relating to the relative position of the gate valve plates (1u, 1L, 1m); e) a control unit (4) containing at least one electronic processor and configured to connect to a reading station (2) and a tool (3) for determining the state of refractories, wherein the control unit (4) is configured to: i. receiving from a tool (3) for determining the state of refractories data on the state of at least one refractory element (1p) connected to one of the specified metallurgical containers (1); ii. receiving identification data of said metallurgical container (1); iii. storing in a database of the state of refractories the specified data on the state of the refractories, interconnected with the identification data of the specified metallurgical container (1); iv. making a decision on the need to replace the refractory element (1p) based on the specified data on the fit or unfit state of the refractories and, in the case of the unfit state of the refractory element (1p) and the need to replace it, the control unit (4) is configured to: a. checking whether the identification data of the refractory element received from the reading station (2) matches the identification data of the replacement refractory element replacing the at least one refractory element (1p); b. correlation in the database of the state of refractories of the specified identification data of the refractory element with the identification data of the specified metallurgical container (1). 2. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the control unit (4) contains a human-machine interface HMI (41), configured to inform the human operator (11) about the need or not to replace the refractory element (1p). 3. The system according to claim 2, characterized in that if it is necessary to replace the refractory element (1p), the human-machine interface HMI (41) is configured to make a request to the human operator (11) to confirm the compliance of the identification data of the refractory element received by the station ( 2) reading the identification data of a replacement refractory element replacing said at least one refractory element (1p). 4. The system according to any one of paragraphs. 1-3, characterized in that each metallurgical container (1) contains a machine-readable mark, and the control unit (4) is configured to read such a machine-readable mark when the metallurgical container (1) is in the detection zone (42) of the block (4 ) control. 5. The system according to claim 4, characterized in that i. the control unit (4) is configured to correlate, by default, in the refractory state database, the identification data of the refractory element for the replacement refractory element (1d), located in the reading zone (21) of the reading station (2), with the identification data of the metallurgical container (1), located in the detection zone (42) of the control unit (4); ii. the human-machine interface HMI (41) is configured to change said default mapping by a human operator. 6. The system according to any one of paragraphs. 1-5, characterized in that the control unit (4) is configured to control the robotic system (5), ensuring the performance of one or more of the following manipulations: manipulation of the replacement refractory elements (1r), placement of the replacement refractory element (1r) in the area ( 21) reading station (2) reading, removing the spent refractory element (1р) from the metallurgical container (1), attaching a replacement refractory element (1r) to the metallurgical container (1), attaching and disconnecting the tool (3) to determine the state of the refractories to the metallurgical containers (1). 7. The system according to any one of paragraphs. 1-6, characterized in that the RFID reading station (2) is a workstation, and the replacement fireproof elements (1r) contain the tags of the workstation. 8. The system according to any one of paragraphs. 1-7, characterized in that the identification data of the metallurgical containers (1) is included in two-dimensional barcodes placed on the tap holes of said ladles, while the control unit (4) is configured to read said two-dimensional barcodes. 9. The system according to any one of paragraphs. 1-8, characterized in that the control unit (4) is configured to store in the refractory state database data on the production of refractories associated with the specified identification data of the refractories, and the specified data on the production of refractories contains at least one of the following data: a) fire-resistant material; b) process parameters for the production of refractories, such as temperature, pressure and duration of the various stages of production; c) dates of production of refractories. 10. The system according to any one of paragraphs. 1-9, characterized in that the control unit (4) is configured to store in the database of the state of refractories data on the metal production process, interconnected with the identification data of the specified metallurgical container (1), and the specified data on the metal production process contains at least one of the following data: a) the type of metal poured into the specified metallurgical container (1); b) types of refractories used in the metallurgical vessel (1); c) frequency and/or duration of metallurgical vessel downtime or downtime (1); d) characteristics of the final product of the metal production process; e) pouring times; f) casting temperature; g) thermal chemistry; h) date or time of installation of the new refractory element or elements; i) the number of castings with the same refractory element or elements. 11. The system according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that it contains a computing unit configured to train a predictive machine learning model for refractory condition data, wherein the computing unit is configured to generate a set of training examples based on the condition database data refractories, and each training example contains: training example input data based on at least one parameter extracted from refractory manufacturing data and/or at least one parameter extracted from metal manufacturing process data, output of a training example based on data on the pass or fail state of refractories. 12. The system according to any one of paragraphs. 1-11, characterized in that the controller (8) is configured to store in the memory of said controller (8) the gas flow rate required to achieve the target pressure, and the relative position of the gate valve plates (1u, 1L, 1m) as a function of a time variable. 13. The system according to any one of paragraphs. 1-12, characterized in that the controller (8) is configured to process the gas flow function to ensure the extraction of the first indicator by calculating the derivative of the specified function and the second indicator by calculating the integral of the specified function. 14. A method for monitoring and assessing the condition of replaceable refractory elements at a metallurgical plant when using the system according to any of paragraphs. 1-13, including the implementation by at least one processor of the block (4) of control of the following stages: i. receiving data on the state of the refractory element (1p) connected to the identified metallurgical container (1) from the tool (3) to determine the state of the refractories; ii. receiving identification data of the metallurgical container (1); iii. storing in a database of the state of refractories specified data on the state of the refractory element, interconnected with the identification data of the specified metallurgical container (1); iv. making a decision on the need to replace the refractory element (1p) based on the specified data on the fit or unfit state of the refractories and, in the case of the unfit state of the refractory element (1p) and the need to replace it, the control unit (4) is configured to: a. checking the correspondence of the identification data of the refractory element received from the RFID reading station (2) in the form of an automated workstation, with the identification data of the replacement refractory element replacing the specified at least one refractory element (1p); b. correlation in the database of the state of refractories of the specified identification data of the refractory element with the identification data of the specified metallurgical container (1).