Optimal Temperature Distribution in a Metal Heating Furnace

Abstract In the revolving heating furnace for steel round bars upstream the piercing mill of Siderca, the operational cost is the addition of fuel cost plus the cost of the metal lost due to surface oxidation/decarburation of the bars. On the basis of the numerical model of the heating process developed by Siderca some numerical experiments geared to determine an optimal temperature distribution inside the furnace, are presented here. The objective of this temperature distribution optimization is to minimize the operational costs. The minimization is subjected to several constraints: maximum and minimum allowable temperature in the outgoing metal, maximum temperature gradient in the bars during the process, maximum temperature jn the furnace walls, etc. For the time being our numerical experimentation is restricted to the steady operation of the furnace.