voestalpine Stahl AG (Linz, Austria):

Pillmair G., Chief Technologist of Blast Furnaces

Schöllhammer H.,  Responsible Manager, Blast Furnaces Technical Service

Lackner B., Engineer, Ironmaking

Z & J Technologies GmbH (Düren, Germany):

Irnich F.-J., Head of Iron and Steel Direction, f-j.irnich@zjtechnologies.de

New bell-less top for charge materials is used at two blast furnaces of voestalpine Stahl GmbH and confirmed their practical efficiency. Owing to improved coke and charge distribution, it was possible to rise substantially efficiency of the blast furnaces. This bell-less top is characterized with easy and simple maintenance and with decreased expenses for technical service and downtimes. Return of investments made less than one year. Operating principle of cone-less top charging system is described. In the future Z & J Technologies is going to supply integrated regulation of charging process using two new measuring systems independent from the blast furnace. These systems allow to get information about actual state of the blast furnace and consequently to provide automatic adapting of charging program. The new measuring technology is used for continuous control of correctness of charge and coke distribution in a blast furnace: it uses Noga profilometer (blast furnace radar) that forms 3-D surfacial image. Measuring head is cooled by liquid nitrogen and can operate steadily in the conditions with high level of dirt and dust. Additionally, Agam system for contact-free temperature measuring is presented; it allows to determine temperature along whole diameter of a blast furnace. Such system is successfully operated during 9 years at No. 9 blast furnace of ThyssenKrupp Steel Europe works in Duisburg. Accumulated operating experience at several blast furnaces testifies that information receiving from both sides and transition to regulation of charge distribution provide higher efficiency rise of the bell-less top.