Device for measuring slab thickness

Method for measuring the thickness of a slag on the surface of a liquid metal contained in a metallurgical vessel comprising the following steps:

• feeding of a wire so that its free end dips vertically into the slag according to a predetermined trajectory;
• detecting the passage of the free end of the wire at a predetermined point of its trajectory, triggering a wire displacement measurer configured to measure a distance travelled by the free end of the wire;
• detecting contact between the free end of the wire and the surface of the liquid metal and stopping the wire feeder;
• immobilizing the wire for a predetermined time that is sufficient to allow the portion of the wire dipped into the slag to be eliminated;
• feeding the wire in an opposite direction along the same predetermined trajectory;
• detecting the passage of the free end of the wire at the same predetermined point of its trajectory and reading the distance travelled by the free end of the wire.

Method for measuring the thickness of a slag on the surface of a liquid metal contained in a metallurgical vessel comprising the following steps:

• feeding the wire so that its free end dips vertically into the slag according to a predetermined trajectory;
• detecting contact between the free end of the wire and the surface of the liquid metal, stopping the wire feeder and triggering the wire displacement measurer configured to measure a distance travelled by the free end of the wire;
• immobilizing the wire for a predetermined time that is sufficient to enable the portion of the wire dipped into the slag to be eliminated, thereby generating a new wire free end;
• feeding the wire so that its new free end dips vertically into the slag according to a predetermined trajectory;
• detecting contact between the new free end of the wire and the surface of the liquid metal, stopping the wire feeder and reading of the distance travelled by the new free end of the wire.