Online simulation model of the slab-reheating process in a pusher-type furnace

This paper presents an online simulation model of the slab-reheating process in a pusher-type furnace in Acroni d.o.o. in Slovenia. The simulation model is connected to the information system of a hot-processing plant that provides online measuring and charging data of the furnace. The simulation model considers the exact geometry of the furnace enclosure, including the geometry of the slabs inside the furnace. A view-factor matrix of the furnace enclosure was determined using the Monte Carlo method. The heat exchange between the furnace gas, the furnace wall and the slab's surface is calculated using a three-temperature model. The heat conduction in the slabs is calculated using the 3D finite-difference method. The model was validated using measurements from trailing thermocouples positioned in the test slabs during the reheating process in the furnace. A graphical user interface (GUI) was developed to ensure a user-friendly presentation of the simulation-model results. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.