Pressure Drop and Flowrate Model of Slidegate Metal Delivery Systems
Hamed Olia, Colorado School of Mines
The pressure distribution in the flow delivery system including the tundish and nozzle (upper tundish nozzle, slidegate, submerged-entry nozzle and ports) is very important since the minimum pressure in the nozzle can cause air aspiration through cracks, joints or porous refractory. A new MATLAB-based modeling tool has been developed to predict pressure drop flowrate relations in a slidegate system that enables researchers to investigate these phenomena. This model is validated with computational fluid dynamics calculations and plant measurements and is applied to conduct parametric studies.
Novel Methodology of Modeling Iron Ore Induration Furnaces
Jayant Borana, Hatch Ltd.
Induration furnaces are used to produce iron pellets for blast furnaces, and their performance is sensitive to operational and design changes. The challenge of modeling these machines is that as geometric complexity and predictability increases, the model is less representative of a range of machines. In this work, a three-dimensional model of the pellet bed has been combined with a one-dimensional model of the gas flow network for easy deployment to a wide range of process gas flow configurations. The model was validated against reference plant operating data and then used to improve the operational efficiency of an induration furnace.
The Preservation of OpenVMS Control Systems Through Emulation
Philip Levin, AK Steel -Middletown Works
AK Steel's computer emulation project has been to extend lifespan of OpenVMS-based control systems while improving system integrity by eliminating obsolete and unavailable computer hardware. The method used to accomplish this was the replacement of DEC/Compaq computer hardware with readily available X86-based servers running emulated DEC computers. Through different iterations of implementing this strategy, AK Steel has been able to add redundancy to several systems that never had redundancy. The results of these upgrades have been to improve uptime for the computers, eliminate expensive hardware maintenance cost and protect the software investment for many years.