Method and system for adjusting the flow rate of charge material in a charging process of a shaft furnace

System for charge material flow rate adjustment in a charging installation for a shaft furnace, said installation comprising a distribution device for controlling the distribution of charge material inside the furnace, a top hopper for intermediately storing batches of charge material to be discharged into the furnace and a flow control valve associated to said hopper for controlling the flow rate of charge material to said distribution device, each batch representing a quantity of charge material that is stored intermediately in said top hopper in order to be discharged into the furnace, said system comprising:

• a data memory storing a respective set of plural valve settings for each batch, each valve setting of a set being associated to a different stage during the discharge of the respective batch from the respective top hopper, so that each different stage corresponds to a different operating status of said distribution device during the discharge of the respective batch;
• a programmable computing device programmed to execute the following for a discharge of a given batch:
• at each stage in the discharge of said given batch:
• operate said flow control valve at a constant valve opening on the basis of the valve setting associated to said stage;
• determine an actual average flow rate at which charge material is discharged during said stage;
• and
• correct each of said plural valve settings of the set stored for said given batch offline in function of the actual average flow rate determined for the associated stage.

System for charge material flow rate adjustment in a charging installation for a blast furnace,

• said installation comprising
• a distribution device including a rotatable and pivotable distribution chute for controlling the distribution of charge material inside the furnace,
• a top hopper for intermediately storing batches of charge material to be discharged into the furnace and
• a flow control valve associated to said hopper for controlling the flow rate of charge material to said distribution device, each batch representing a quantity of charge material that is stored intermediately in said top hopper in order to be discharged into the furnace,
• wherein said system comprises:
• a data memory storing a respective set of plural valve settings for each batch, each valve setting of a set being associated to a different stage during the discharge of the respective batch from the respective top hopper, so that each different stage corresponds to a different operating status of said distribution device during the discharge of the respective batch, said operating status in being a pivoting position of said distribution chute;
• a programmable computing device programmed to execute the following for a discharge of a given batch:
• at each stage in the discharge of said given batch:
• operate said flow control valve at a constant valve opening on the basis of the valve setting associated to said stage;
• determine an actual average flow rate at which charge material is discharged during said stage;
• and
• correct each of said plural valve settings of the set stored for said given batch offline in function of the actual average flow rate determined for the associated stage.