Authors: T. Gerritsen, P. Shadlyn, R. MacRosty, J. Zhang and B. Van Beek (Lonmin)
Com2009 - Conference of Metallurgists, August 26 , 2009, Sudbury, Canada
Abstract
Hatch has developed the first Tapblock Fibre Optic Temperature System and installed the system
on one of the matte tapblocks at Lonmin Platinum in South Africa. The system uses fibre optic sensing
technology to measure temperatures on the hot face and in the tapping channel of a water-cooled matte
tapblock. In this application, fibre optic sensors provide superior temperature measurements, both in terms
of accuracy and measurement density, compared to thermocouples which are traditionally used. Installed in
January 2009, the fibre optic sensors and the associated basic monitoring software are providing
temperature data from areas of the tapblock that have never been accurately measured on an operating
furnace. The temperature data also indicate strong correlations with tapping events, making it a more
interactive measurement system. The installation is part of a continuous effort by Hatch, with Lonmin’s
support, to develop a Tapblock Diagnostic System (patent pending) to estimate the health or remaining life
of critical furnace components. The next step will entail monitoring the fibre optic system for at least six
months to confirm the sensors’ reliability in such a harsh environment. This paper describes the installation
of the sensors, and some of the challenges overcome throughout the development and installation. Some of
the key topics discussed are the initial temperature readings and the thermal modeling developed for
analyzing the results.
