WO2007091793A1

WO2007091793A1 - Monitoring method using furnace monitoring system

Info

Publication number: WO2007091793A1
Application number: PCT/KR2007/000407
Authority: WO
Inventors: Bae Hoon Kim
Original assignee: Best Maintenance Service Co., Ltd; Youngkook Electronics Co., Ltd
Priority date: 2006-02-10
Filing date: 2007-01-24
Publication date: 2007-08-16
Also published as: KR100622356B1

Abstract

A monitoring method makes use of a furnace monitoring system. The monitoring method photographs the inside of the furnace, compares and analyzes thermal wavelengths and images in the furnace with values set on the temperature monitoring program installed to a computer, emits a warning sound when a temperature beyond a set range is detected, performs operation so as to automatically increase or decrease the temperature in the furnace, outputs the temperature data of monitoring regions such that a user can easily view the temperature data, and stores the temperature data in the computer. Thereby, it is possible to monitor a burner from the time of initial ignition to the time of extinguishment in order to preemptively prevent an accidental explosion resulting from faulty ignition.

Description

MONITORING METHOD USING FURNACE MONITORING

SYSTEM

Technical Field

[1] The present invention relates, in general, to a monitoring method using a furnace monitoring system, which makes it possible to monitor the inside of a furnace that is operating at a high temperature, in order to rapidly cope with changes in internal conditions, thereby reducing the percentage of defective materials in the furnace, and preventing the danger of fire caused by faulty ignition at the time of initial ignition. Background Art

[2] In general, a furnace continues to heat at least one material while it is being operated. Hence, as long as nothing special happens, the furnace operates continuously.

[3] In the case of such a furnace, the inside thereof should be frequently monitored in consideration of whether or not internal structures and materials are smoothly heated, and to determine the danger of fire caused by high-temperature heat.

[4] To this end, conventionally, the inside of the furnace can be monitored only in such a manner that two or more skilled workers frequently look into the inside of the furnace through a monitoring hole provided on one side of the furnace.

[5] However, this method has a problem in that the monitoring result is dependent on the proficiency of the skilled worker, and in that the skilled worker must remain on standby around the furnace under high temperature. Further, because the furnace must be monitored at regular intervals, there is another problem in that it is impossible to rapidly cope with an unexpected event which occurs abruptly.

[6] In order to solve these problems, recently used is a method of monitoring the inside of the furnace through a camera installed at a window, wherein the window is installed in a monitoring hole formed in the wall of the furnace using quartz glass or heat- resistant glass capable of resisting high temperatures, and the camera is installed outside the window.

[7] However, this method still has a problem in that, because the camera can only photograph the inside of the furnace as it is visible through the window, it is difficult to perfectly photograph the inside of the furnace, and in that, because the camera, which is installed outside the window formed in the furnace wall, is extremely restricted with respect to the photographing angle thereof, the inside of the furnace cannot be properly photographed.

[8] Further, the image photographed by the camera is not useful in determining the internal temperature of the furnace. For this reason, there is a problem in that work must be performed under perpetual exposure to the danger of a fire. Disclosure of Invention Technical Problem

[9] Accordingly, the present invention has been made in an effort to solve the problems occurring in the related art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a monitoring method using a furnace monitoring system, wherein the furnace monitoring system, which is formed of heat-resistant material and has a cooling unit, is installed to monitor the inside of the furnace, so that it is possible to monitor a burner from the time of initial ignition to the time of extinguishment to preemptively prevent an accidental explosion resulting from faulty ignition, wherein the states of the refractory, the beam, and the heated material in the furnace are frequently checked, so that it is possible not only to exchange the internal structures of the furnace at a proper time but also to frequently monitor the situation of the material heated in the furnace, wherein the maximum, minimum, and average temperatures in the furnace are set, so that it is possible to maintain the internal temperature of the furnace at a proper level, and wherein the installed monitoring unit measures temperatures up to 1800°C, so that it can be applied to various furnaces. Technical Solution

[10] In order to achieve the above object, according to an aspect of the present invention, there is provided a monitoring method using a furnace monitoring system, which includes a step of inserting a vision tube provided to a monitoring unit of the furnace monitoring system into a through pipe installed in the wall of a furnace; a step of measuring the temperature and photographing the situation in the furnace using the inserted vision tube, and simultaneously cooling the vision tube, inserted into the furnace wall, using the cooling air that is supplied to a panel and is then cleaned by an air cleaner of the panel; a step of sending the temperature and image, measured and photographed by the lens of the vision tube, to a computer through an image sensor of a charged coupled device (CCD) camera; a step of applying the sent temperature and image data to data setting colors according to temperatures, converting the sent temperature and image data into a temperature distribution image, and outputting the converted result on a screen; a step of calculating the average temperature in the furnace using the temperature distribution image; a step of setting monitoring regions so as to measure the temperature at a position where a user intends to perform monitoring using the temperature distribution image; a step of comparing the temperature of each of the set monitoring regions with the maximum and minimum temperatures set in the computer; a step of emitting a warning sound when the temperature in the furnace is beyond a preset temperature range in the step of comparing the temperature; a step of outputting the temperature data of the monitoring regions in a form of one selected from a histogram and a line profile; and a step of storing the data of the monitoring regions in the computer.

Advantageous Effects

[11] In the monitoring method using the furnace monitoring system according to the present invention, the furnace monitoring system, which is formed of heat resistant material and has the cooling unit, is installed to monitor the inside of the furnace, so that it is possible to monitor a burner from initial ignition to extinguishment thereof, in order to preemptively prevent an accidental explosion resulting from faulty ignition.

Further, the states of the refractory, the beam, and the heated material in the furnace can be frequently checked, so that it is possible not only to replace the internal structures of the furnace at a proper time but also to frequently monitor the conditions of the material heated in the furnace. [12] In addition, the maximum, minimum, and average temperatures in the furnace are set, so that it is possible to maintain the internal temperature of the furnace at a proper level. The installed monitoring unit can measure temperatures up to 1800°C, and thus can be applied to various furnaces.

Brief Description of the Drawings [13] The above objects, and other features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent after a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which: [14] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a furnace monitoring system according to the present invention; and [15] FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a furnace monitoring system according to the present invention.

Best Mode for Carrying Out the Invention [16] Reference will now be made in greater detail to the construction of a furnace monitoring system according to the present invention. [17] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a furnace monitoring system according to the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a flowchart of a furnace monitoring system according to the present invention.

[18] First, a through pipe 2 is installed in the wall 1 of a furnace.

[19] The through pipe 2 is preferably formed of material capable of withstanding a temperature of 1800°C or more. [20] Further, a monitoring unit 30 includes a vision tube 10 on which are mounted a lens

11, a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera 12, and a coolant port 13, and which passes through the through pipe 2, and a carrier 20 having a shock absorber 21 and a retractable spring 22 so as to allow the vision tube 10 to pass through the through pipe 2 and be inserted into the furnace.

[21] The monitoring unit 30 inserted into the furnace is preferably made of heat resistant material.

[22] A panel 40 includes an air cleaner 41 supplying purified air to the vision tube 10 of the monitoring unit 30, and a controller 42 controlling the carrier 20 of the monitoring unit 30.

[23] Further, a computer 50 has installed therein temperature monitoring software, which is capable of monitoring and analyzing temperature and image data received from the monitoring unit 30, and a monitor 60, which outputs the analyzed data on a screen thereof so as to allow the analyzed data to be viewed.

[24] In addition, a compressor 70, which supplies cooling air to the panel 40, is installed on one side of the furnace.

[25] A monitoring method using the furnace monitoring system having the above- described construction will now be described.

[26] First, in order to monitor the inside of the furnace using the furnace monitoring system 100, colors must be set on a temperature monitoring program of the computer 50 in the furnace monitoring system 100 in such a manner that they can be output to the screen according to a range from the minimum temperature to the maximum temperature.

[27] In the step of setting colors, the minimum temperature and the maximum temperature are differently set according to the type of the furnace to which the furnace monitoring system 100 is applied. In the case of a system such as an incinerator or a power plant, having a relatively low operating temperature, the minimum operating temperature and the maximum operating temperature are set to 200°C and 1000°C, respectively. In the case of a system such as a glasshouse, having a relatively high operating temperature, the minimum operating temperature and the maximum operating temperature are set to 1600°C and 1700°C, respectively.

[28] Further, when the color is selected according to the temperature, a furnace having a relatively low operating temperature employs a narrow color range, whereas a furnace having a relatively high operating temperature employs a wide color range.

[29] Then, at least one material to be heated is loaded into the furnace, and the furnace and the furnace monitoring system 100 are turned on.

[30] When the furnace monitoring system 100 is turned on, the carrier 20 of the monitoring unit 30 inserts the vision tube 10 into the furnace through the through pipe 2 formed in the furnace wall 1.

[31] At this time, the vision tube 10 is inserted into the furnace while the shock absorber 21 and the retractable spring 22 of the carrier 20 of the monitoring unit 30 are controlled by the controller 42 of the panel 40.

[32] Then, thermal wavelengths in the furnace and the inside of the furnace are photographed through the lens 11 provided at the front of the inserted vision tube 10.

[33] Here, the vision tube 10 photographs the inside of the furnace continuously before the furnace is ignited, and then the process of heating the structure and material in the furnace from the beginning, thereby monitoring whether or not anything is wrong with the structure in the furnace and whether or not the material in the furnace is properly heated.

[34] Further, the compressor 70, provided outside, supplies cooling air to the air cleaner

41 of the panel 40, and the air cleaner 41 of the panel 40, to which the cooling air is supplied, cleans the cooling air to create clean air. The created clean air is injected into the vision tube 10 inserted in the furnace through the coolant port 13 of the vision tube 10, so that the vision tube 10 can be cooled to photograph the inside of the furnace while resisting the high temperature of 1800°C in the furnace.

[35] The reason the cooling air supplied by the compressor 70 is converted into clean air by passing through the air cleaner 41 of the panel 40 is to increase the lifetime of the operating equipment, such as the vision tube 10, the lens 11, and the CCD camera 12 by meeting the temperature conditions of the operating equipment.

[36] The inside of the furnace is photographed through the lens 11 of the vision tube 10, and the photographed image and thermal wavelengths are sent to the computer 50 through an image sensor of the CCD camera 12 in a data format.

[37] Then, the computer 50 applies the sent image and thermal wavelength data to the colors according to the temperature range between the maximum and minimum temperatures, which is set in the temperature monitoring program, and outputs the applied data to the monitor as a temperature distribution image.

[38] Afterwards, in order to measure the average temperature inside the furnace, an arbitrary line is formed on the temperature distribution image output to the monitor using the temperature monitoring program.

[39] Thereby, the average temperature of the temperature distribution image along the path along which the line is formed is output to the monitor.

[40] The reason for measuring the average temperature of the furnace is to control the internal temperature of the furnace so as to match the internal temperature of the furnace with the operating temperature, and to simultaneously check the situation inside the furnace.

[41] Then, a monitoring region is set so as to enable a user to measure the temperature at a position which the user intends to monitor using the temperature distribution image output to the monitor. [42] The monitoring region can be set up to a maximum of 32 regions which the user intends to monitor in the form of a point (a coordinate of the temperature distribution image), a line, or a quadrilateral box having an arbitrary size. Each of the set monitoring regions can be shifted from its original coordinates to other coordinates at the request of the user.

[43] When the temperature monitoring region is set in this way, the temperature at each monitoring region, set in the temperature distribution image by means of the temperature monitoring program, is output to the monitor.

[44] Then, the temperature monitoring program, installed in the computer 50, compares and analyzes the output temperature of each monitoring region with the maximum and minimum temperatures that are initially set in the computer 50.

[45] At this time, when the temperature of each monitoring region does not fall between the maximum and minimum temperatures that are initially set in the computer 50, a warning message is displayed on the monitor 60, and simultaneously a warning sound is emitted from the computer 50 such that the user can take appropriate measures.

[46] Thereafter, the temperature data of the monitoring regions is converted into a histogram or a line profile, and is output as a report such that the user can easily check the temperature distribution.

[47] When the output of the report is finished, the report is stored in the computer 50 so as to be able to use the data of the monitoring regions in the future. The furnace monitoring system 100 repeats the above-described steps until the material is completely heated while the thermal wavelength and image data from the monitoring unit 30 are sent to the computer 50. When the material is completely heated, the furnace monitoring system 100 is stopped.

[48] In addition, the inside of the furnace is photographed, and the data are stored in the computer 50 at an interval of one second from the start to the end of the execution of the program. The user can search for and use data stored for a maximum of one week.

Industrial Applicability

[49] In the monitoring method using the furnace monitoring system according to the present invention, the furnace monitoring system, which is formed of heat resistant material and has the cooling unit, is installed to monitor the inside of the furnace, so that it is possible to monitor a burner from initial ignition to extinguishment thereof, in order to preemptively prevent an accidental explosion resulting from faulty ignition. Further, the states of the refractory, the beam, and the heated material in the furnace can be frequently checked, so that it is possible not only to replace the internal structures of the furnace at a proper time but also to frequently monitor the conditions of the material heated in the furnace. [50] In addition, the maximum, minimum, and average temperatures in the furnace are set, so that it is possible to maintain the internal temperature of the furnace at a proper level. The installed monitoring unit can measure temperatures up to 1800°C, and thus can be applied to various furnaces.

Claims

[1] A monitoring method using a furnace monitoring system, in which the furnace monitoring system installs a through pipe in a wall of a furnace in order to monitor an inside of the furnace at a high temperature, and includes a monitoring unit that includes a vision tube, inserted into the through pipe, and a carrier; a panel that includes an air cleaner and a controller; a compressor that supplies cooling air to the panel; a computer that has installed thereon temperature monitoring software that sets a minimum temperature at which the furnace is smoothly operated, a maximum temperature, at which a fire occurs in the furnace, and colors designated according to temperatures so as to enable viewing and discrimination of changes in temperature; and a monitor that outputs an image inside the furnace on a screen thereof, the monitoring method comprising the steps of: inserting the vision tube of the monitoring unit of the furnace monitoring system into the through pipe installed in the furnace wall; measuring a temperature and photographing a situation in the furnace using the inserted vision tube, and simultaneously cooling the vision tube, inserted into the furnace wall, using the cooling air, which is supplied to the panel and then is cleaned by an air cleaner of the panel; sending the temperature and image, measured and photographed by a lens of the vision tube, to the computer through an image sensor of a charged coupled device (CCD) camera; applying the sent temperature and image data to data setting the colors according to temperatures, converting the sent temperature and image data into a temperature distribution image, and outputting a conversion result on the screen; calculating an average temperature in the furnace using the temperature distribution image; setting monitoring regions so as to measure a temperature at a position where a user intends to perform monitoring using the temperature distribution image; comparing the temperature of each of the set monitoring regions with the maximum and minimum temperatures set in the computer; emitting a warning sound when the temperature in the furnace is beyond a preset temperature range in the step of comparing the temperature; outputting the temperature data of the monitoring regions in a form of one selected from a histogram and a line profile; and storing the data of the monitoring regions in the computer.