Process Instrumentation

346

and is covered by a steel and ceramic brick cover. The cover

is lifted and replaced by a crane during charging and drawing
operations.

The pit is fired by fuel oil, and the combustion

gases pass out through

a recuperator

where waste heat is ex

tracted.

The operation requires heating the ingots to the required tem

perature, uniform throughout the ingot, in as short a time as
possible without excessive scaling or burning of the metal.
Making a list of variables affecting the over-all operation of
the process, we have:

Ingot temperature.
2. Amount of metal in pit.
1.

3.

Pit

6.

Preheated-air

temperatures.
4. Pit-temperature distribution.
6\ Wall and cover temperatures.
temperature.

Oil-flow rate.
8. Oil-flow quantity.
9. Heating value of fuel oil.
7.

10. Pressure of fuel oil.

12.

Ratio of oil to air for combustion.

Fan speed.

13.

Stack draft.

14.

Stack temperature.

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11.

to which are added:

15.
16.

Ambient temperature.
Ambient humidity.

17. Barometric
18.

pressure.
Sun and wind conditions.

Before subdividing this list, it is necessary to consider the tem

perature control. It is desired to maintain the ingot at constant
In accordance with the rule of direct measure
temperature.
ment, we should therefore measure the surface temperature of
the hottest ingot during heating so as to avoid scaling and burn
ing. After the ingots are up to temperature, the center tempera
ture of the coolest ingot should be measured so as to insure that
all ingots have reached the minimum temperature for forming.