# US 2017/0016675 A1 · Furnace cooling panel monitoring system > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2017/0016675 A1 - Document ID: US20170016675A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/025,286 - Filed: 2015-07-13 - Published: 2017-01-19 - Earliest claimed: 2015-07-13 - Assignees: CIX Inc. - Inventors: Mark Edward Trapp - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20170016675A1 ## CPC - F27D 21/0014: {Devices for monitoring temperature} - C21C 5/4673: {Measuring and sampling devices} - F27B 3/24: Cooling arrangements - F27B 3/28: Arrangement of controlling, monitoring, alarm or the like devices - F27B 14/20: Arrangement of controlling, monitoring, alarm or like devices - F27D 11/08: Heating by electric discharge, e.g. arc discharge - F27D 21/04: Arrangement of indicators or alarms - C21C 2005/5288: {Measuring or sampling devices} - F27B 2014/0837: {Cooling arrangements} - F27D 2009/0013: {the fluid being water} - F27D 2019/0025: {Monitoring the temperature of a part or of an element of the furnace structure} - Y02P 10/20: Recycling - F27D: DETAILS OR ACCESSORIES OF FURNACES, KILNS, OVENS OR RETORTS, IN SO FAR AS THEY ARE OF KINDS OCCURRING IN MORE THAN ONE KIND OF FURNACE - C21C: PROCESSING OF PIG-IRON, e.g. REFINING, MANUFACTURE OF WROUGHT-IRON OR STEEL; TREATMENT IN MOLTEN STATE OF FERROUS ALLOYS - F27B: FURNACES, KILNS, OVENS OR RETORTS IN GENERAL; OPEN SINTERING OR LIKE APPARATUS - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract A furnace cooling panel monitoring system utilizes individual cooling panel data to produce critical monitoring data. An exemplary cooling panel monitoring system utilizes the input from a plurality of temperature sensors configured to accurately measure the temperature change of cooling fluid flowing through each individual panel. The change in temperature from the inlet to the outlet of a cooling panel along with the flow rate of the cooling fluid through the panel can be used to calculate the a heat energy dissipation rate of the cooling panel, or heat flux. The flow rate through individual panels is determined by K-values or resistance to flow constants for a given cooling panel. The heat energy dissipation rate for individual panels can be provided to a user through a computer implemented monitoring program in real time. Alerts may be initiated by the computer implemented monitoring program when a threshold value has been exceeded. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A furnace cooling panel monitoring system comprising: a. a computer implemented monitoring program configured to display a heat energy dissipation rate for each of a plurality of cooling panels configured in a cooling panel array proximal to a furnace; wherein each of said plurality of cooling panels has an associated K-value that is input into the computer implemented monitoring program, wherein the K-value is a constant for each of said plurality of cooling panels and is a flow rate resistance value of a cooling liquid flowing through each of said plurality of cooling panels; wherein an array inlet cooling liquid flow rate is measured and input into the computer implemented monitoring program; wherein a cooling liquid inlet temperature and a cooling liquid outlet temperature to each of said plurality of cooling panels is measured and input into the computer implemented monitoring program; wherein the computer implemented monitoring program utilizes the input K-value for each of said plurality of cooling panels, the array inlet cooling liquid flow rate, the cooling liquid inlet temperature and the cooling liquid outlet temperature of each of said plurality of cooling panels to calculate the heat energy dissipation rate for each of said plurality of cooling panels; wherein the heat energy dissipation rate for each of said plurality of cooling panels is displayed in real time on a display screen; whereby an operator can monitor the heat energy dissipation rate of each of said plurality of cooling panels in real time. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The furnace cooling panel monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the furnace is an electric arc furnace. ### Claim 3 (canceled) ### Claim 4 (canceled) ### Claim 5 (canceled) ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The furnace cooling panel monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the display comprises a heat map display; wherein the heat dissipation rate for each of said plurality of cooling panels is displayed as a color representing said heat dissipation rate. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The furnace cooling panel monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the display comprises a diagram display of the plurality of cooling panels configured with respect to each other, and wherein the associated heat energy dissipation rates of the plurality of cooling panels are displayed proximate to each of said displayed cooling panels. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The furnace cooling panel monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the display comprises a diagram of the plurality of cooling panels with respect to each other and in a heat map display, wherein each of said plurality of cooling panels are displayed in a color that is representative of the heat energy dissipation rate for each of said displayed cooling panels. ### Claim 9 (canceled) ### Claim 10 (canceled) ### Claim 11 (canceled) ### Claim 12 (canceled) ### Claim 13 (canceled) ### Claim 14 (canceled) ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The furnace cooling panel monitoring system of claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of cooling panels has an associated threshold heat energy dissipation rate value that is input into the computer implemented monitoring program; and wherein the computer implemented monitoring program comprises an alarm function, whereby an alarm is initiated if at least one of the plurality of cooling panels has a heat energy dissipation rate that is above a threshold value. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The furnace cooling panel monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the computer implemented monitoring program comprises an alarm function, whereby an alarm is initiated if a first cooling panel has a heat energy dissipation rate that is greater than a differential threshold value, set in the computer implemented monitoring program, of any of the plurality of cooling panels adjacent to said first cooling panel. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The furnace cooling panel monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the computer implemented monitoring program comprises a heat dissipation flux rate threshold value input, and whereby an alarm is initiated if at least one of the plurality of cooling panels has a heat dissipation flux rate greater than said heat dissipation flux threshold value input. ### Claim 18 (canceled) ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The furnace cooling panel monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the computer implemented monitoring program comprises a calculation of a specific heat energy dissipation rate, and wherein said specific heat energy dissipation rate is equal to the heat energy dissipation rate of a first cooling panel divided by an exposure surface area of said first cooling panel. ### Claim 20 (canceled) ### Claim 21 (canceled) ### Claim 22 (canceled) ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The furnace cooling panel monitoring system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of cooling panels are configured between an array cooling fluid inlet and an array cooling fluid outlet and wherein at least two or the plurality of cooling panels are configured in a parallel configuration between the array cooling fluid inlet and the array cooling fluid outlet. ### Claim 24 (depends on 1) The furnace cooling panel monitoring system of claim 1, further comprising an array inlet cooling liquid flow rate sensor that provides input of the array inlet cooling liquid flow rate to the computer inmplemented program. ### Claim 25 A furnace cooling panel monitoring method comprising: a. providing a computer implemented monitoring program configured to display a heat dissipation energy rate for each of a plurality of cooling panels configured in a cooling panel array proximal to a furnace; b. inputting K-values for each of said plurality of cooling panels into the computer implemented monitoring program, c. inputting an array cooling liquid inlet flow rate into the computer implemented monitoring program; d. inputting a cooling liquid inlet temperature and a cooling liquid outlet temperature of each of said plurality of cooling panels into the computer implemented monitoring program; e. calculating the heat energy dissipation rate for each of said plurality of cooling panels; wherein the computer implemented monitoring program utilizes the input K-value for each of said plurality of cooling panels, the array inlet cooling liquid flow rate, the cooling liquid inlet temperature and the cooling liquid outlet temperature of each of said plurality of cooling panels to calculate the heat energy dissipation rate for each of said plurality of cooling panels; f. displaying, in real time on a display screen, the heat energy dissipation rates for each of said plurality of panels; and g. monitoring the heat energy dissipation rate of each individual panel in real time on the display. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The furnace cooling panel monitoring method of claim 25, wherein the furnace is an electric arc furnace. ### Claim 27 (canceled) ### Claim 28 (canceled) ### Claim 29 (depends on 25) The furnace cooling panel monitoring method of claim 25, wherein the display comprises a line graph comprising a heat dissipation axis and a time axis. ### Claim 30 (depends on 25) The furnace cooling panel monitoring method of claim 25, wherein the display comprises a heat map display; wherein the heat dissipation rate for each of said plurality of cooling panels is displayed as a color representing said heat dissipation rate. ### Claim 31 (canceled) ### Claim 32 (canceled) ### Claim 33 (canceled) ### Claim 34 (canceled) ### Claim 35 (canceled) ### Claim 36 (canceled) ### Claim 37 (canceled) ### Claim 38 (canceled) ### Claim 39 (depends on 25) The furnace cooling panel monitoring method of claim 25, further comprising the step of inputting a threshold heat energy dissipation rate value for each of said plurality of cooling panels into the computer implemented monitoring program; and wherein the computer implemented monitoring program comprises an alarm function, whereby an alarm is initiated if at least one of the plurality of cooling panels has a heat energy dissipation rate that is above a threshold value. ### Claim 40 (canceled) ### Claim 41 (depends on 25) The furnace cooling panel monitoring method of claim 25, further comprising the step of inputting a heat dissipation flux rate threshold value for each of said plurality of cooling panels into the computer implemented monitoring program, and whereby an alarm is initiated if at least one of the plurality of cooling panels has a heat dissipation flux rate greater than said heat dissipation flux threshold value input.