Optimizing energy efficiency for ore smelting in blast furnaces by surface scanning

An iron ore smelting method comprising:

• obtaining, from first sensors positioned along a stream of pelletized particles downstream from an exit of a pelletization system, images of pelletized particles within the stream of pelletized particles;
• determining, from the images, a shape-irregularities factor that represents a deviation of a surface area of the pelletized particle from a surface area of a regular sphere having the same volume;
• determining, based on the shape-irregularities factor, quantities of one or more reactants to be added to a blast furnace with the pelletized particles in the stream of pelletized particles;
• and
• sending, to an ingredient metering system of the blast furnace, one or more signals that cause a controller to add at least one of the reactants to the blast furnace according to the determined quantities.

A pelletization system comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and a data store coupled to the at least one processor having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:
• obtaining, from first sensors positioned along a stream of pelletized particles downstream from an exit of the pelletization system, images of pelletized particles within the stream of pelletized particles;
• determining, from the images, a shape-irregularities factor that represents a deviation of a surface area of the pelletized particle from a surface area of a regular sphere having the same volume;
• in response to determining that at least one or more of the characteristics is outside of a pelletization parameter, determining an adjustment to a control parameter of the pelletization system;
• and
• sending, to a controller of the pelletization system, one or more signals that cause the controller to adjust the control parameter of the pelletization system.

An iron ore smelting system comprising:

• a pelletization system;
• a blast furnace;
• and
• at least one processor, and a data store coupled to the at least one processor having instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform operations comprising:
• obtaining, from first sensors positioned along a stream of pelletized particles downstream from an exit of the pelletization system, images of pelletized particles within the stream of pelletized particles;
• determining, from the images, one or more characteristics of the pelletized particles;
• determining, based on the one or one or more characteristics of the pelletized particles, quantities of one or more reactants to be added to the blast furnace with the pelletized particles in the stream of pelletized particles;
• and
• sending, to an ingredient metering system of the blast furnace, one or more signals that cause a controller to add at least one of the reactants to the blast furnace according to the determined quantities.