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US 4,463,437 AGranted
Furnace burden thermographic method and apparatus
AssigneeBethlehem Steel Corporation
InventorsArthur J. Schenck, John P. Hoffman, Glenn R. Crossley
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Improved infrared camera system better enables furnace burden surface temperature measurements and temperature profile measurements and displays of such measurements to be made at various stocklines. An infrared data processing system is incorporated with the camera system which provides automatic acquisition, validation and preprocessing of thermal images from an infrared camera, defines and extracts key features of the thermal images, provides automatic classification and storage of thermal images, periodically reports on displays and printer burden temperature information, and provides convenient data retrieval and data archiving capability. The invention may be incorporated in new or existing methods and apparatus.
Claims16
Method of determining a furnace burden surface thermograph, which comprises:
- (a) producing a burden surface thermal image signal from a video camera viewing obliquely the burden surface and covering various stocklines;
- (b) generating a variable burden stockline signal;
- (c) validating the burden surface thermal image signal in response to at least one monitored process parameter signal associated with the furnace;
- (d) correcting electronically the validated burden surface thermal image signal for at least one video camera error;
- (e) extracting at least one key feature of the corrected burden surface thermal image signal at various values of burden stockline signals to represent a cross-sectional segment of the furnace burden;
- and
- (f) utilizing the corrected extracted feature of the thermal image signal in the reconstruction of an intelligible representation of the burden surface cross-sectional temperature property.
4 more elements
Apparatus for determining a furnace burden surface thermograph, which comprises:
- (a) means for producing a burden surface thermal image signal from a video camera viewing the burden surface;
- (b) data processing means including means for validating the burden surface thermal image signal in response to at least one monitored process parameter signal associated with the furnace;
- (c) means for utilizing the validated thermal image signal to cause the production of an intelligible representation of the burden surface temperature.
Apparatus for determining a furnace burden surface thermograph, which comprises:
- (a) means for producing a burden surface thermal image signal from a video camera viewing obliquely the burden surface and covering various stocklines;
- (b) data processing means including means for correcting electronically the burden surface thermal image signal for at least one video camera error;
- and
- (c) means for utilizing the corrected thermal image signal to cause the production of an intelligible representation of the burden surface temperature.
1 more element
Apparatus for determining a furnace burden surface thermograph, which comprises:
- (a) means for producing a burden surface thermal image signal from a video camera viewing obliquely the burden surface and covering various stocklines;
- (b) data processing means including means for validating the burden surface thermal image signal in response to at least one monitored process parameter signal associated with the furnace;
- (c) means included in the data processing means for correcting electronically the validated burden surface thermal image signal for at least one video camera error;
- and
- (d) means for utilizing the validated and corrected thermal image signal to cause the production of an intelligible representation of the burden surface temperature.
2 more elements
Apparatus for determining a furnace burden surface thermograph, which comprises:
- (a) means for producing a burden surface thermal image signal from a video camera viewing the burden surface and covering various stocklines;
- (b) means for generating a variable burden stockline signal;
- (c) data processing means including means for extracting at least one key feature of the burden surface thermal image signal at various values of burden stockline signals to represent a cross-sectional segment of the furnace burden surface;
- and
- (d) means for utilizing the extracted feature of the thermal image signal in the reconstruction of an intelligible representation of the burden surface cross-sectional temperature property.
2 more elements
Apparatus for determining a furnace burden surface thermograph, which comprises:
- (a) means for producing a burden surface thermal image signal from a video camera viewing obliquely the burden surface and covering various stocklines:
- (b) means for generating a variable burden stockline signal;
- (c) data processing means including means for validating the burden surface thermal image signal in response to at least one monitored process parameter signal associated with the furnace;
- (d) means included in the data processing means for correcting electronically the validated burden surface thermal image signal for at least one video camera error;
- (e) means included in the data processing means for extracting at least one key feature of the corrected burden surface thermal image signal at various values of burden stockline signals to represent a cross-sectional segment of the furnace burden surface;
- and
- (f) means for utilizing the corrected extracted feature of the thermal image isgnal in the reconstruction of an intelligible representation of the burden surface cross-sectional temperature property.
4 more elements
Apparatus for determining a furnace burden surface thermograph, which comprises:
- (a) means for producing a burden surface thermal image signal from a video camera viewing obliquely the burden surface and covering various stocklines;
- (b) means for generating a variable burden stockline signal;
- (c) data processing means including means for processing the thermal image signal and at least the stockline signal as required for validating and, if required, correcting purposes;
- (d) means included in the data processing means for classifying the processed thermal image signal according to burden charging material and pattern characteristic signals;
- (e) means included in the data processing means for storing the classified processed thermal image signal;
- and
- (f) means for utilizing the stored thermal image signal to cause the production of an intelligible representation of the burden surface temperature and burden classification.
4 more elements
Apparatus for determining a furnace burden surface thermograph, which comprises:
- (a) means for producing a burden surface thermal image signal from a video camera viewing obliquely the burden surface and covering various stocklines;
- (b) means for generating a variable burden stockline signal;
- (c) data processing means including means for validating the burden surface thermal image signal in response to at least one monitored process parameter signal associated with the furnace;
- (d) means included in the data processing means for correcting electronically the validated burden surface thermal image signal for at least one video camera error;
- (e) means included in the data processing means for extracting at least one key feature of the corrected burden surface thermal image signal at various values of burden stockline signals to represent a cross-sectional segment of the furnace burden surface;
- (f) means included in the data processing means for classifying the extracted thermal image signal according to burden charging material and pattern characteristic signals;
- (g) means included in the data processing means for storing the classified thermal image signal;
- and
- (h) means for utilizing the stored thermal image signal to cause the production of an intelligible representation of the burden surface temperature and burden classification.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.