Muon imaging of a blast furnace: The European project BLEMAB
Abstract
In the central area of a blast furnace, called “cohesive zone,” the high temperature up to 2000°C allows us to melt most of the materials in input. The performance of a blast furnace depends on the shape and density of the cohesive zone, and, therefore, its characteristics (i.e., location and extension) are important. Muography, being a passive and non-invasive technique, represents a valid alternative to the most common techniques in the steel industry for the blast furnace monitoring that involve the use of special probes capable of reaching very high temperatures, but which, however, are unable to reach this area before melting or functioning for a long time. The cohesive zone could be passively and continuously observed for a long time with muography and could be visible as a high-density anomaly inside the blast furnace. In this work, the BLEMAB (BLast furnace stack density Estimation through on-line Muon ABsorption measurements) European project (2020–2024) is described. The detectors, the two measurements performed and the first results on the density distribution showing the potential of the technique in the steel industry, will be presented. These results have then been compared with measurements performed in parallel with other techniques such as eMPVP (enhanced MultiPoint Vertical Probes) finding some compatibilities.
Article Details
Journal Info
Journal of Applied Physics
American Institute of Physics
Authors (38)
D. Borselli
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Florence 1 , Florence,
F. Ambrosino
P. Andreetto
INFN Padova and Department of Physics and Astronomy University of Padova 1 , Padova,
L. Bonechi
INFN, Florence Division 2 , Florence,
G. Bonomi
S. Bottai
INFN, Florence Division 2 , Florence,
T. Buhles
Ironmaking Department, ArcelorMittal Bremen GmbH 8 , Bremen,
I. Calliari
Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padua 9 , Padua,
P. Checchia
U. Chiarotti
RINA Consulting, Centro Sviluppo Materiali SpA 10 , Rome,
C. Cialdai
INFN, Florence Division 2 , Florence,
R. Ciaranfi
INFN, Florence Division 2 , Florence,
L. Cimmino
V. Ciulli
R. D’Alessandro
P. G. De Seta Cosentino
Ironmaking Department, ArcelorMittal Maizières Research SA 11 , Maizières-lès-Metz,
E. Faraci
RINA Consulting, Centro Sviluppo Materiali SpA 10 , Rome,
F. Finke
Ironmaking Department, ArcelorMittal Bremen GmbH 8 , Bremen,
A. Franzen
Ironmaking Department, ArcelorMittal Bremen GmbH 8 , Bremen,
C. Frosin
C. Gennari
Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padua 9 , Padua,
B. Glaser
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology 12 , Stockholm,
S. Gonzi
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Florence 1 , Florence,
A. Lorenzon
INFN Padova and Department of Physics and Astronomy University of Padova 1 , Padova,
V. Masone
V. Moroli
RINA Consulting, Centro Sviluppo Materiali SpA 10 , Rome,
O. Nechyporuk
Ironmaking Department, ArcelorMittal Maizières Research SA 11 , Maizières-lès-Metz,
A. Paccagnella
Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Florence 1 , Florence,
L. Pezzato
Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Padua 9 , Padua,
B. V. Rangavittal
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology 12 , Stockholm,
D. Ressegotti
RINA Consulting, Centro Sviluppo Materiali SpA 14 , Dalmine (Bergamo),
G. Saracino
R. P. Santos Ferreira
Ironmaking Department, ArcelorMittal Maizières Research SA 11 , Maizières-lès-Metz,
J. Sauerwarld
Ironmaking Department, ArcelorMittal Bremen GmbH 8 , Bremen,
O. Starodubtsev
INFN, Florence Division 2 , Florence,
H. Upadhyay
Ironmaking Department, ArcelorMittal Maizières Research SA 11 , Maizières-lès-Metz,
F. Volzone
RINA Consulting, Centro Sviluppo Materiali SpA 10 , Rome,
M. Vynnycky
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, KTH Royal Institute of Technology 12 , Stockholm,