Abstract: A residual molten material amount detection method and detection apparatus that can detect a residual amount of molten material in a vertical furnace and a method for operating a vertical furnace by using the detection method. The residual molten material amount detection method detects a residual amount of molten material remaining in a bottom portion of a vertical furnace after end of discharge of the molten material. The method includes detecting the residual amount of the molten material by using a difference between a production speed of the molten material and a discharge speed of the molten material that is calculated by using a discharge acceleration, a discharge period, and an initial discharge speed of the discharge of the molten material through a taphole.

Abstract: A molten material liquid level detection method that can detect a liquid level of molten material from a residual amount of the molten material with high accuracy and a method for operating a vertical furnace by using the detection method. The molten material liquid level detection method detects a liquid level of molten material remaining in a bottom portion of a vertical furnace after end of discharge of a molten material. The molten material liquid level detection method includes calculating a void fraction of the solid-filled structure, and detecting a liquid level of the molten material after the end of the discharge by using the calculated void fraction and a residual amount of the molten material after the end of the discharge.

Abstract: A method for charging raw materials into a blast furnace is as follows. The blast furnace includes a bell-less charging device that includes a plurality of main hoppers and an auxiliary hopper. The auxiliary hopper has a smaller capacity than the main hoppers. The method includes discharging ore charged in at least one of the plurality of main hoppers, and then sequentially charging the ore from a furnace wall side toward a furnace center side by using a rotating chute. The discharging of low-reactivity ore charged in the auxiliary hopper is started simultaneously with a start of charging of the ore or at a point in time after the start of the charging; and then, the low-reactivity ore is charged together with the ore from the rotating chute. The charging of the low-reactivity ore is stopped at least before a point in time at which charging of 56 mass % of the ore is completed.

Abstract: A method for charging raw materials into a blast furnace is provided. The blast furnace includes a bell-less charging device that includes a plurality of main hoppers and an auxiliary hopper. The auxiliary hopper has a smaller capacity than the main hoppers. The method includes discharging ore charged in at least one of the plurality of main hoppers and then sequentially charging the ore from a furnace center side toward a furnace wall side by using a rotating chute. After charging of the ore is started, only the ore is charged from the rotating chute at least until charging of 15 mass % of the ore is completed based on a total amount of the ore to be charged per batch; then discharging of small-size coke charged in the auxiliary hopper is started; and then, the small-size coke is charged together with the ore from the rotating chute.

Abstract: A blast furnace operation method comprising a blast furnace to start up smoothly and perform operation after suspending air blowing by removing as much as possible residual coke that remains inside the furnace during suspension of air blowing and becomes an obstacle to discharging solidified matter. In this blast furnace operation method, air blowing is suspended with the height of a surface of a raw material-filled layer immediately above a blast-furnace tuyere reduced below the height of an upper end of a blast-furnace bosh and then air blowing is resumed. After air blowing into the blast furnace is suspended, oxygen or oxygen and a combustible gas are blown in through a burner inserted into a taphole to combust coke remaining inside the furnace and reduce the volume of residues inside the furnace, and after new coke is charged to a region where the volume decreased, air is blown through a tuyere.

Abstract: A method for detecting a fluctuation of a solidified layer, and a method for operating a blast furnace by employing the relevant method. In the method for detecting a fluctuation of a solidified layer, the fluctuation of the solidified layer in the lower part of a blast furnace is detected by using the amount of heat supplied to pig iron in the lower part of the blast furnace and the amount of heat in the pig iron tapped in a predetermined period.

Abstract: An operation method for production facilities operates production facilities of a same kind located at production sites, and includes: a data information preparation step of aggregating operational data of each of the production facilities for each of the production sites; a data accumulation step of accumulating the operational data aggregated at the data information preparation step into a computer located at a data accumulation site; a data analysis step of analyzing an operation status of each of the production facilities, using the operational data accumulated at the data accumulation step; a data display step of displaying information on analyzed the operation status of each of the production facilities on a display unit located at each of the production sites; and a facility operation step of referring to the displayed information and operating a production facility located at a second production site from a first production site.

Abstract: A production facilities monitoring method monitors an operation status of a plurality of production facilities of a same kind located at a plurality of production sites and includes: a data information preparation step of aggregating operational data of each of the production facilities for each of the production sites; a data accumulation step of accumulating the operational data aggregated at the data information preparation step into a computer located at a data accumulation site; a data analysis step of analyzing a current operation status at each of the production facilities, using current operational data and past operational data accumulated at the data accumulation step; and an operation status determination step of determining whether operation is abnormal at each of the production facilities, based on an analysis result of the data analysis step.

Abstract: A method for charging raw materials into a blast furnace is as follows. The blast furnace includes a bell-less charging device that includes a plurality of main hoppers and an auxiliary hopper. The auxiliary hopper has a smaller capacity than the main hoppers. The method includes discharging ore charged in at least one of the plurality of main hoppers, and then sequentially charging the ore from a furnace center side toward a furnace wall side by using a rotating chute. After charging of the ore is started, only the ore is charged from the rotating chute at least until charging of 45 mass % of the ore is completed based on a total amount of the ore to be charged per batch; then, discharging of low-reactivity ore charged in the auxiliary hopper is started; and then, the low-reactivity ore is charged together with the ore from the rotating chute.

Abstract: A method for charging raw materials into a blast furnace is provided. The blast furnace includes a bell-less charging device that includes a plurality of main hoppers and an auxiliary hopper. The auxiliary hopper has a smaller capacity than the main hoppers. The method includes discharging ore charged in at least one of the plurality of main hoppers and then sequentially charging the ore from a furnace center side toward a furnace wall side by using a rotating chute. After charging of the ore is started, only the ore is charged from the rotating chute at least until charging of 15 mass % of the ore is completed based on a total amount of the ore to be charged per batch; then discharging of small-size coke charged in the auxiliary hopper is started; and then, the small-size coke is charged together with the ore from the rotating chute.