Method and control and tracking system of the charge of material transported by a continuous supply conveyor of a metallurgical furnace, particularly an electric furnace for the production of steel

A control and tracking method of a charge of material transported by a continuous supply conveyor of a metallurgical furnace, or an electric furnace for production of steel, wherein the continuous conveyor includes, in sequence and starting from its inlet end towards its outlet end, a loading section of the charge of material to be supplied to the furnace, a preheating section of the charge of material loaded, and an introduction section into the furnace of the preheated charge of material, and along the loading section at least a first loading station of material, the method comprising:

• a) determining a type and weight of the material of a first charge fraction to be loaded in the first loading station in function of a predetermined charge recipe;
• b) supplying the first loading station with the first charge fraction;
• c) detecting a weight of the first charge fraction;
• d) discharging the first charge fraction on the continuous conveyor;
• e) marking the first charge fraction through identification means;
• f) detecting overall dimensions of the first charge fraction discharged on the continuous conveyor;
• g) estimating an advancing speed of the first charge fraction along the loading section of the continuous conveyor and an arrival time of the first charge fraction entering a possibly subsequent loading station of a further charge fraction or the preheating section;
• h) in proximity to the inlet to the preheating section, recognizing in the charge of material discharged onto the continuous conveyor, the first charge fraction and possible further charge fractions subsequently discharged onto the continuous conveyor by the respective identification means;
• i) estimating an advancing speed of the first charge fraction and of possible further charge fractions subsequently discharged onto the continuous conveyor along the preheating section and the respective arrival time at the inlet section into the furnace.

A control and tracking system of a charge of material transported by a continuous supply conveyor of a metallurgic furnace, or an electric furnace for production of steel, wherein the continuous conveyor includes, in sequence starting from its inlet end towards its outlet end, a loading section of the charge of material to be supplied to the furnace, a preheating section of the charge of material loaded, and an introduction section into the furnace of the preheated charge of material, and along the loading section at least a first loading station of the material, the system comprising:

• at the first loading station, at least one loading hopper referring to the continuous conveyor, means for detecting a weight of the material loaded in the hopper, means for marking a first charge fraction supplied into the hopper through identification means, means for detecting overall dimensions of the first charge fraction discharged onto the continuous conveyor, and means for detecting an advancing speed of the first charge fraction along the loading section of the continuous conveyor;
• and
• in proximity to the inlet to the preheating section, means for recognizing in the charge of material discharged onto the continuous conveyor of the first charge fraction and of possible further charge fractions subsequently discharged onto the continuous conveyor by the respective identifying means;
• a processing and control unit configured to determine a type and weight of the material of at least one first charge fraction to be loaded into the hopper of the first loading station in function of a predetermined charge recipe and to process the data detected by the means for detecting the weight, the overall dimensions and the speed and by the recognizing means, to estimate an actual position, an advancing speed along the loading section, and an arrival time of the first charge fraction entering a further possible loading station of a further charge fraction or the preheating section and the actual position, the advancing speed along the preheating section and the arrival time to the introducing section into the furnace of the first charge fraction and of possible further charge fractions subsequently discharged onto the continuous conveyor.