Blast Furnace Analysis with Neural Networks

Nowadays blast furnace operation is supervised by extensive measurements and controlled accordingly. Characteristic indications concerning process quality are given by the analysis of the radial temperature profile in the upper part of the furnace. Optimising this temperature distribution would lead to considerable savings of input material. To achieve an optimisation, quantitative relations between furnace parameters are needed. As those relationships are unknown, a process model can be provided using neural networks and fuzzy methods. In this paper we show the application of fuzzy clustering and neural networks to classify temperature profiles and to build a model of the interdependence between process operation parameters and the resulting temperature profiles. These investigations have been carried out in a plant of a German steel producer.