Abstract: According to one embodiment, a data reading method of a storage device for reading data from a storage module, includes: reading data from the storage module; detecting an error in the data; reading, when the error is detected, the data several times; storing each data read several times in a buffer; calculating correlation between the data stored in the buffer; selecting data stored in the buffer with strong correlation so as to exclude data with low correlation from the selection; performing majority decision on the selected data or averaging the selected data; and outputting a result of the majority decision or the averaging as read data.

Abstract: A connecting structure of a blast furnace hot stove of the type in which a heat accumulation chamber dome and a combustion chamber dome are directly connected to each other through a dome connecting pipe which does not have any expansion joint. The ratio (RD/TD) of the diameter (RD) of the dome connecting pipe to the diameter (TD) of the heat accumulation chamber dome approximately meets the condition wherein 0.24.ltoreq.(RD/TD).ltoreq.0.60, while the ratio (RD/ND) of the diameter (RD) of the dome connecting pipe to the diameter (ND) of the combustion chamber dome approximately meets the condition wherein 0.44.ltoreq.(RD/ND).ltoreq.0.80. The connecting structure may have a reinforcement ring provided on straight barrel portions immediately under the heat accumulation chamber dome and the combustion chamber dome, and a connecting beam may be fixed at one end to one of the reinforcement rings and engage at its other end with the other of the reinforcement rings for limited sliding motion.