Challenge details:

In the blast furnace, hot metal samples are collected from trough to assess the temperature and chemical composition of hot metal and slag before downstream processing. Today, this activity is performed manually, requiring operators to approach the molten metal stream and collect a sample using specialized sampling tools. The sampling/temperature monitoring process is done 3 times during each cast spanning about 2.5 hrs. The blast furnace runner area presents several hazardous conditions like proximity to molten metal, exposure to extreme radiant heat, dust, fumes, intense glare, and the risk of liquid metal splashes. The operators wear specialized aluminized suits for protection against such hazardous environment and carry the lance weighing around 10 kg for taking the sample. In addition, the operating area contains infrastructure constraints such as sloped floors, runner geometry, metallic floor coverings, and movement of maintenance and operational vehicles.

We are seeking innovative solutions to automate the hot metal sampling/temperature monitoring process and eliminate human intervention in hazardous zones. The proposed solution must be fully autonomous or remotely operated, but it should be capable of collecting hot metal samples from the runner with the same or better consistency as the existing manual process. Any automated solution must be capable of operating safely and reliably under severe thermal and mechanical conditions described above while maintaining personnel safety and operational continuity.