3D FE analysis and control of a submerged arc electric furnace

Issue title: Selected Papers from the 15th International Symposium on Applied Electromagnetics and Mechanics (ISEM 2011)

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Di Barba, Paolo^b | Dughiero, Fabrizio^a | Dusi, Maurizio^c | Forzan, Michele^a | Mognaschi, Maria Evelina^b | Paioli, Mauro^c | Sieni, Elisabetta^{a; *}

Affiliations: [a] Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padua, Padova, Italy | [b] Department of Industrial and Information Engineering, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy | [c] Italghisa SpA, Bagnolo Mella, Italy

Correspondence: [*] Corresponding author: Elisabetta Sieni, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Padua, via Gradenigo 6/A, 35131 Padova, Italy. E-mail: elisabetta.sieni@unipd.it

Abstract: Purpose of the paper is to study the behaviour of a submerged arc furnace for the production of ferroalloys in order to implement a new voltage-based control system of the furnace. A 3D Finite Element (FE) model has been developed to define an equivalent electric circuit model able to describe the furnace operations. Both field and circuit models are validated by measurements on a furnace installed in an industrial plant. A novel method to control a furnace is proposed.

Keywords: Finite element analysis, submerged arc furnace, voltage control

DOI: 10.3233/JAE-2012-1510

Journal: International Journal of Applied Electromagnetics and Mechanics, vol. 39, no. 1-4, pp. 555-561, 2012