An advanced power controller in an electric-Arc furnace

The increased cost of electrodes in low-power electric-arc furnaces due to frequent breakdowns at the stage of the electric-arc ignition is a problem.Improvement of the mechanical part of the furnace does not eliminate the described problem, while demanding huge investment. The most effective way to do thus is to modernize the automatic control system. The application of new control algorithms, combined with the constantly developing element base, allows the quantitative and qualitative indicators of the power controller and the furnace to be increased. This paper focuses onthe development of an advanced power controller that allows the probability of breakage of electrodes to be reduced. A simulation model of the advanced power controller is provided and studied. © D.V. Maslov, V.P. Rubtsov, 2014.