Authors: G. Dosa, A. Kepes and T. Ma, Hatch Associates Ltd., Mississauga, Ontario,
P. Fantin, Falconbridge Ltd., Falconbridge, Ontario
CIM 35th Annual Conf Of Metallurgy - Challenges In Process Intensification Symposium; Montreal, Canada, August 1996
Abstract
An integral and necessary aspect of high power furnace operation is the computer control of
furnace power. Process specific computer control of the electrode columns and transformer
voltages are important requirements for electric furnace smelting. Hatch Associates has developed
a Digital Regulation System for power and feed system control, operating on a Programmable
Logic Controller (PLC) and Parallel Industrial Computer (PC), incorporating advanced software
which automatically calculates and maintains process set points. The Hatch computer controls are
installed on five high power electric smelting furnaces throughout the world. The paper describes
the design aspects of concurrent electrode regulation, power regulation, transformer tap selection
and feed control using on-line Power-Voltage-Current (PVI) calculations. This design promotes
uniform power control at a controlled electrode tip position. The benefits of tight power regulation
and uniform bath temperature, achieved at an operating smelter, are presented.
