Equipment for measurement and control of load material fed into a furnace

A system for refining steel, comprising:

• an electric arc furnace (EAF) producing steel by smelting and refining a load material inside the EAF;
• a conveyor connected to the EAF to introduce the load material inside the EAF;
• a post-combustion station cooperating with the conveyor and preheating the load materials inside the conveyor;
• a tilting platform for tilting the EAF for slagging and tapping operations, the tilting platform being positioned such that a slant of the EAF maintains a heel of melted liquid material inside the EAF, the heel having a weight that is between 10% and 50% of the weight prior to tapping;
• and
• equipment configured to measure and control feeding of the load material to the EAF, the equipment being positioned between the EAF and the tilting platform, the equipment comprising:
• an automatic control device feeding the load material according to energy supplied to a bath;
• and
• a measuring device for the load material, operatively coupled to the automatic control device, the measuring device weighing a shell of the EAF, contents thereof, and any other components supported by the shell,
• wherein the measuring device is positioned between the electric arc furnace and the tilting platform and comprises:
• an upper plate having an upper surface adapted to slide against a lower surface of the EAF;
• a lower plate having a lower surface adapted to be engaged to the tilting platform;
• a ring structure coupled to an upper surface of the lower plate and having,
• a peripheral ring wall with a longitudinal axis perpendicular to the upper and lower plates,
• a ring plate coupled to an inner side of the ring wall and extending across the ring structure, and
• a contact member coupled to the ring plate and extending along a longitudinal axis of the ring structure to upperly contact a lower surface of the upper plate and to lowerly approach, without contacting, an upper surface of the lower plate, and
• one or more sensors coupled to the ring plate and measuring a deformation of the ring plate upon application of a load on the upper surface of the upper plate.