Helium tracing : a new tool for gas distribution control in the blast furnace

Helium tracing allows measuring the gas transfer time in the blast furnace. CRM is developing a technique enabling to measure continuously this transfer time. In order to get more detailed information, six sampling points have been set up along a radius of the blast furnace top, at stockline level. The radial profiles of transfer time measured by this method are used to characterize the radial distribution of the gas in the blast furnace. This information helps to observe how the charging sequence influences this gas distribution and to analyze its repercussions on the blast furnace operation.