Automatic BOF vessel remaining lining profiler and method

Inspection apparatus for use with a steel making furnace installation of the type having an open-topped furnace vessel moveable between a generally vertical melting position and a non-vertical inspection position and a generally flat platform floor adjacent said vessel, the interior wall of said vessel including a refractory lining subject to wear and generally of a temperature substantially higher than ambient, said inspection apparatus including means for measuring the actual remaining vessel lining thickness comprising:

• a. inspection means including:
• i. a laser transmitter for directing a laser light beam toward the interior vessel wall through the vessel opening;
• ii. a receiver for detecting the laser light beam scattered from the interior vessel wall comprising a linear array receiver having a plurality of optical elements positioned in side-by-side relationship;
• iii. means for correlating the displacement of the detected laser light beam with respect to said optical elements with the actual remaining lining thickness at a particular point on the interior vessel wall;
• b. a portable cart mounting said inspection means and positionable on the platform floor adjacent said vessel opening;
• and
• c. positioning means for accurately and repeatably positioning said cart with respect to said vessel comprising:
• i. first means associated with the platform floor;
• and
• ii. second means associated with said cart and configured to cooperate with said first means to fixedly position said cart at a predetermined position with respect to said vessel.

A method for determining the actual remaining lining thickness of a steel making furnace vessel of the type having a bottom, sides and open top and a refractory lining subject to wear said method comprising:

• a. accurately and repeatably positioning exteriorly of the vessel inspection apparatus comprising a laser transmitter producing a laser light beam and a receiver for detecting the laser light beam scattered from the interior vessel wall comprising a linear array receiver having a plurality of optical elements positioned in side-by-side relationship;
• b. selecting a plurality of points defining a predetermined area of the interior vessel wall;
• c. determining the coordinates of each of said selected points;
• d. utilizing said coordinates to sequentially and automatically direct said laser beam at each of said selected points within said predetermined area;
• e. detecting the laser light beam scattered from each of said selected points and the amount of displacement of the scattered laser light beam as determined by the particular array elements impinged upon by the beam;
• and
• f. correlating the displacement of the detected laser light beam with the actual remaining lining thickness at each of said points.

Inspection apparatus for use with a steel making furnace installation of the type having an open-topped furnace vessel moveable between a generally vertical melting position and a non-vertical inspection position and a generally flat platform floor adjacent said vessel, the interior wall of said vessel including a refractory lining subject to wear and generally of a temperature substantially higher than ambient, said inspection apparatus including means for measuring the actual remaining vessel lining thickness comprising:

• a. inspection means including:
• i. a laser transmitter for directing a laser light beam toward the interior vessel wall through the vessel opening;
• ii. a receiver for detecting the laser light beam scattered from the interior vessel wall comprising a linear array receiver having a plurality of optical elements positioned in side-by-side relationship;
• iii. means for correlating the displacement of the detected laser light beam with respect to said optical elements with the actual remaining lining thickness at a particular point on the interior vessel wall;
• b. a portable cart mounting said inspection means and positionable on the platform floor adjacent said vessel opening;
• and
• c. positioning means for accurately and repeatably positioning said cart with respect to said vessel comprising at least one locating pad permanently associated with the platform floor and a locating means mounted on said cart, said locating means being moveable between a retracted position spaced from the platform floor so that said cart may be moved about and an engaged position wherein said locating means engages said pad to fixedly position said cart at a predetermined position with respect to said vessel.

Inspection apparatus for use with a steel making furnace installation of the type having an open-topped furnace vessel moveable between a generally vertical melting position and a non-vertical inspection position and a generally flat platform floor adjacent said vessel, the interior wall of said vessel including a refractory lining subject to wear and generally of a temperature substantially higher than ambient, said inspection apparatus including means for measuring the actual remaining vessel lining thickness comprising:

• a. inspection means including:
• i. a laser transmitter for directing a laser light beam toward the interior vessel wall through the vessel opening;
• ii. a receiver for detecting the laser light beam scattered from the interior vessel wall comprising a linear array receiver having a plurality of optical elements positioned in side-by-side relationship;
• iii. means for correlating the displacement of the detected laser light beam with respect to said optical elements with the actual remaining lining thickness at a particular point on the interior vessel wall;
• b. a portable cart mounting said inspection means and positionable on the platform floor adjacent said vessel opening;
• and
• c. positioning means for accurately and repeatably positioning said cart with respect to said vessel comprising a pair of spaced apart locating pads permanently associated with the platform floor and a pair of locating means affixed to the sides of the cart and moveable between a retracted position spaced from the platform floor so that the cart may be moved about and an engaged position wherein each of said locating means engages a respective one of said pads to fixedly position said cart at a predetermined position with respect to said vessel.

Inspection apparatus for use with a steel making furnace installation of the type having an open-topped furnace vessel moveable between a generally vertical melting position and a non-vertical inspection position and a generally flat platform floor adjacent said vessel, the interior wall of said vessel including a refractory lining subject to wear and generally of a temperature substantially higher than ambient, said inspection apparatus including means for measuring the actual remaining vessel lining thickness comprising:

• a. inspection means including:
• i. a laser transmitter for directing a laser light beam toward the interior vessel wall through the vessel opening;
• ii. a receiver for detecting the laser light beam scattered from the interior vessel wall comprising a linear array receiver having a plurality of optical elements positioned in side-by-side relationship;
• iii. means for correlating the displacement of the detected laser light beam with respect to said optical elements with the acutal remaining lining thickness at a particular point on the interior vessel wall;
• b. a portable cart mounting said inspection means and positionable on the platform floor adjacent said vessel opening;
• and
• c. positioning means for accurately and repeatably positioning said cart with respect to said vessel comprising:
• i. first means associated with the platform floor;
• and
• ii. second means associated with said cart and configured to cooperate with said first means to fixedly position said cart at a predetermined position with respect to said vessel and to position said cart vertically.

Inspection apparatus for use with a steel making furnace installation of the type having an open-topped furnace vessel moveable between a generally vertical melting position and a non-vertical inspection position and a generally flat platform floor adjacent said vessel, the interior wall of said vessel including a refractory lining subject to wear and generally of a temperature substantially higher than ambient, said inspection apparatus including means for measuring the actual remaining vessel lining thickness comprising:

• a. inspection means including:
• i. a laser transmitter for directing a laser light beam toward the interior vessel wall through the vessel opening;
• ii. a receiver for detecting the laser light beam scattered from the interior vessel wall comprising a linear array receiver having a plurality of optical elements positioned in side-by-side relationship;
• iii. means for correlating the displacement of the detected laser light beam with respect to said optical elements with the actual remaining lining thickness at a particular point on the interior vessel wall;
• b. a portable cart mounting said inspection means and positionable on the platform floor adjacent said vessel opening;
• and
• c. positioning means for accurately and repeatably positioning said cart with respect to said vessel comprising a pair of spaced apart locating pads permanently associated with the platform floor and a fluid actuated cylinder associated with each side of the cart and a piston operable by each of said cylinders between a retracted position spaced from the platform floor and an engaged position wherein the lowermost end of each of said pistons engages a respective one of said pads, each of said pads containing a cooperating depression for accepting the lowermost end of its associated piston, one of said pads being elongated and positioned transversely to the central axis of the furnace vessel, said pads being positioned substantially the same distance from the vessel opening.