Furnace burden thermographic method and apparatus

Claim 2

Method of determining a furnace burden surface thermograph, which comprises: (a) producing a burden surface thermal image signal from a video camera viewing obliquely the burden surface and covering various stocklines; (b) generating a variable burden stockline signal; (c) validating the burden surface thermal image signal in response to at least one monitored process parameter signal associated with the furnace; (d) correcting electronically the validated burden surface thermal image signal for at least one video camera error; (e) extracting at least one key feature of the corrected burden surface thermal image signal at various values of burden stockline signals to represent a cross-sectional segment of the furnace burden; and (f) utilizing the corrected extracted feature of the thermal image signal in the reconstruction of an intelligible representation of the burden surface cross-sectional temperature property.

Claim 3

Apparatus for determining a furnace burden surface thermograph, which comprises: (a) means for producing a burden surface thermal image signal from a video camera viewing the burden surface; (b) data processing means including means for validating the burden surface thermal image signal in response to at least one monitored process parameter signal associated with the furnace; (c) means for utilizing the validated thermal image signal to cause the production of an intelligible representation of the burden surface temperature.

Claim 4

Apparatus for determining a furnace burden surface thermograph, which comprises: (a) means for producing a burden surface thermal image signal from a video camera viewing the burden surface; (b) data processing means including means for validating the burden surface thermal image signal in response to at least one monitored process parameter signal associated with the furnace; (c) means for utilizing the validated thermal image signal to cause the production of an intelligible representation of the burden surface temperature.

Claim 5

Apparatus of claim 2 wherein the validating means responds to a monitored process parameter signal representing furnace wall reference temperature from a sensor in view of the video camera, furnace wind rate, burden material charge, category and discharge status, charging pattern and charging chute position, a variable burden stockline, and furnace top water spray, and the validating means responds to said one or more parameter signals.

Claim 6

Apparatus for determining a furnace burden surface thermograph, which comprises: (a) means for producing a burden surface thermal image signal from a video camera viewing obliquely the burden surface and covering various stocklines; (b) data processing means including means for correcting electronically the burden surface thermal image signal for at least one video camera error; and (c) means for utilizing the corrected thermal image signal to cause the production of an intelligible representation of the burden surface temperature.

Claim 7

Apparatus for determining a furnace burden surface thermograph, which comprises: (a) means for producing a burden surface thermal image signal from a video camera viewing obliquely the burden surface and covering various stocklines; (b) data processing means including means for correcting electronically the burden surface thermal image signal for at least one video camera error; and (c) means for utilizing the corrected thermal image signal to cause the production of an intelligible representation of the burden surface temperature.

Claim 8

Apparatus of claim 4 wherein the correcting means overcomes a camera error characterized as geometric distortion due to camera obliqueness at various burden stocklines, raw video camera signal nonlinearity, and camera calibration, and further including means for generating a variable burden stockline signal as required for distortion correction purpose.

Claim 9

Apparatus for determining a furnace burden surface thermograph, which comprises: (a) means for producing a burden surface thermal image signal from a video camera viewing obliquely the burden surface and covering various stocklines; (b) data processing means including means for validating the burden surface thermal image signal in response to at least one monitored process parameter signal associated with the furnace; (c) means included in the data processing means for correcting electronically the validated burden surface thermal image signal for at least one video camera error; and (d) means for utilizing the validated and corrected thermal image signal to cause the production of an intelligible representation of the burden surface temperature.

Claim 10

Apparatus for determining a furnace burden surface thermograph, which comprises: (a) means for producing a burden surface thermal image signal from a video camera viewing obliquely the burden surface and covering various stocklines; (b) data processing means including means for validating the burden surface thermal image signal in response to at least one monitored process parameter signal associated with the furnace; (c) means included in the data processing means for correcting electronically the validated burden surface thermal image signal for at least one video camera error; and (d) means for utilizing the validated and corrected thermal image signal to cause the production of an intelligible representation of the burden surface temperature.

Claim 11

Apparatus for determining a furnace burden surface thermograph, which comprises: (a) means for producing a burden surface thermal image signal from a video camera viewing the burden surface and covering various stocklines; (b) means for generating a variable burden stockline signal; (c) data processing means including means for extracting at least one key feature of the burden surface thermal image signal at various values of burden stockline signals to represent a cross-sectional segment of the furnace burden surface; and (d) means for utilizing the extracted feature of the thermal image signal in the reconstruction of an intelligible representation of the burden surface cross-sectional temperature property.

Claim 12

Apparatus for determining a furnace burden surface thermograph, which comprises: (a) means for producing a burden surface thermal image signal from a video camera viewing the burden surface and covering various stocklines; (b) means for generating a variable burden stockline signal; (c) data processing means including means for extracting at least one key feature of the burden surface thermal image signal at various values of burden stockline signals to represent a cross-sectional segment of the furnace burden surface; and (d) means for utilizing the extracted feature of the thermal image signal in the reconstruction of an intelligible representation of the burden surface cross-sectional temperature property.

Claim 13

Apparatus of claim 7 wherein the extracting means feature includes burden thermal profile and burden profile characteristics.

Claim 14

Apparatus for determining a furnace burden surface thermograph, which comprises: (a) means for producing a burden surface thermal image signal from a video camera viewing obliquely the burden surface and covering various stocklines: (b) means for generating a variable burden stockline signal; (c) data processing means including means for validating the burden surface thermal image signal in response to at least one monitored process parameter signal associated with the furnace; (d) means included in the data processing means for correcting electronically the validated burden surface thermal image signal for at least one video camera error; (e) means included in the data processing means for extracting at least one key feature of the corrected burden surface thermal image signal at various values of burden stockline signals to represent a cross-sectional segment of the furnace burden surface; and (f) means for utilizing the corrected extracted feature of the thermal image isgnal in the reconstruction of an intelligible representation of the burden surface cross-sectional temperature property.

Claim 15

Apparatus for determining a furnace burden surface thermograph, which comprises: (a) means for producing a burden surface thermal image signal from a video camera viewing obliquely the burden surface and covering various stocklines: (b) means for generating a variable burden stockline signal; (c) data processing means including means for validating the burden surface thermal image signal in response to at least one monitored process parameter signal associated with the furnace; (d) means included in the data processing means for correcting electronically the validated burden surface thermal image signal for at least one video camera error; (e) means included in the data processing means for extracting at least one key feature of the corrected burden surface thermal image signal at various values of burden stockline signals to represent a cross-sectional segment of the furnace burden surface; and (f) means for utilizing the corrected extracted feature of the thermal image isgnal in the reconstruction of an intelligible representation of the burden surface cross-sectional temperature property.

Claim 16

Apparatus for determining a furnace burden surface thermograph, which comprises: (a) means for producing a burden surface thermal image signal from a video camera viewing obliquely the burden surface and covering various stocklines; (b) means for generating a variable burden stockline signal; (c) data processing means including means for processing the thermal image signal and at least the stockline signal as required for validating and, if required, correcting purposes; (d) means included in the data processing means for classifying the processed thermal image signal according to burden charging material and pattern characteristic signals; (e) means included in the data processing means for storing the classified processed thermal image signal; and (f) means for utilizing the stored thermal image signal to cause the production of an intelligible representation of the burden surface temperature and burden classification.

Claim 17

Apparatus for determining a furnace burden surface thermograph, which comprises: (a) means for producing a burden surface thermal image signal from a video camera viewing obliquely the burden surface and covering various stocklines; (b) means for generating a variable burden stockline signal; (c) data processing means including means for processing the thermal image signal and at least the stockline signal as required for validating and, if required, correcting purposes; (d) means included in the data processing means for classifying the processed thermal image signal according to burden charging material and pattern characteristic signals; (e) means included in the data processing means for storing the classified processed thermal image signal; and (f) means for utilizing the stored thermal image signal to cause the production of an intelligible representation of the burden surface temperature and burden classification.

Claim 18

Apparatus of claim 10 wherein the classifying means classifies according to current burden material type signal, preceding burden material type signal and burden distribution pattern based on a charging chute position signal.

Claim 19

Apparatus of claim 10 where in the storing means the classified image data are placed in one or more storage files containing a predetermined number of the most recent images of any classifiecation, their classification, and images from current furnace charging cycle having a predetermined number and order of burden discharges.

Claim 20

Apparatus of claim 12 wherein the storage means files are periodically averaged and additional files are created of periodic data.

Claim 21

Apparatus of claim 12 wherein the means for classifying or means for storing is done by accessing from a thermal image display terminal.

Claim 22

Apparatus for determining a furnace burden surface thermograph, which comprises: (a) means for producing a burden surface thermal image signal from a video camera viewing obliquely the burden surface and covering various stocklines; (b) means for generating a variable burden stockline signal; (c) data processing means including means for validating the burden surface thermal image signal in response to at least one monitored process parameter signal associated with the furnace; (d) means included in the data processing means for correcting electronically the validated burden surface thermal image signal for at least one video camera error; (e) means included in the data processing means for extracting at least one key feature of the corrected burden surface thermal image signal at various values of burden stockline signals to represent a cross-sectional segment of the furnace burden surface; (f) means included in the data processing means for classifying the extracted thermal image signal according to burden charging material and pattern characteristic signals; (g) means included in the data processing means for storing the classified thermal image signal; and (h) means for utilizing the stored thermal image signal to cause the production of an intelligible representation of the burden surface temperature and burden classification.

Claim 23

Apparatus for determining a furnace burden surface thermograph, which comprises: (a) means for producing a burden surface thermal image signal from a video camera viewing obliquely the burden surface and covering various stocklines; (b) means for generating a variable burden stockline signal; (c) data processing means including means for validating the burden surface thermal image signal in response to at least one monitored process parameter signal associated with the furnace; (d) means included in the data processing means for correcting electronically the validated burden surface thermal image signal for at least one video camera error; (e) means included in the data processing means for extracting at least one key feature of the corrected burden surface thermal image signal at various values of burden stockline signals to represent a cross-sectional segment of the furnace burden surface; (f) means included in the data processing means for classifying the extracted thermal image signal according to burden charging material and pattern characteristic signals; (g) means included in the data processing means for storing the classified thermal image signal; and (h) means for utilizing the stored thermal image signal to cause the production of an intelligible representation of the burden surface temperature and burden classification.

Claim 24

Apparatus of claim 15 wherein the means for utilizing the processed thermal image signals includes means for displaying a processed thermal image or a thermal profile on a display terminal and, if desired, means for printing the thermal image or a thermal profile on a printing terminal.