Process and device for regulating the position of the tip of an electric furnace electrode

A process for regulating position of a tip of an electrode which is immersed in an electric furnace vessel, is fastened to a bearing device, and into which preparations are introduced, the length of the electrode being calculated by registering a distance between a specific point up until evaporation of the preparation, the process comprising the steps of:

• introducing gas containers into the electrode one after another in a row-like chain at a spacing (c);
• assigning each gas container a serial number (n.sub.i);
• registering and transmitting to a computer a coordinate (b.sub.k) of one of the gas containers in a region of a top edge of the electrode;
• metrologically registering and communicating to the computer gas rising in the furnace vessel due to the gas containers melting open as a result of consumption of the electrode in a region of the tip of the electrode during operation of the electric furnace;
• determining data of a last gas container with a serial number (n.sub.j) and a current melted-open gas container by gas analysis;
• determining a present position of electrode tip as a distance (a.sub.k) from a fixed point which i .DELTA. at a distance (L) from the fixed point to the last gas container, in accordance with:
• a.sub.k =L-(n.sub.i -n.sub.j).times.c+b.sub.k, wherein i,j, and k are any arbitrary real number;
• and controlling the position of the electrode bearing device.