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Abstract: This paper investigates the modelling and control of the electric energy input of
a three-phase electric arc furnace (EAF) using electrode position control as the main
control strategy. Two methods to keep the electrical energy input constant at a known set
point value are to control the arc-current or the arc-impedance. These variables are
controlled by moving the electrodes up or down using an electrode position controller.
Plant data are used to do system identification on an industrial EAF to model the close
loop electrode system. Copyright © 2003 IFAC
Keywords: Electrodes; Arc resistance; Modelling; Ward Leonard drive; Control; Step
inputs
2. MODEL DESCRIPTION
The furnace transmission system from the power Fig. 1. Electrical power supply system (single phase)
generation system to the arcs is described by the (Billings and Nicholson, 1977)
following equations (Billings and Nicholson, 1975):
where Ztk is the total phase impedance referred to the ik = − Fk rak (10)
transformer secondary windings, Rak represent arc
resistance, Rak is the system line resistance, Xk is the The arc discharge model for the system can be found
line reactance, E is the line voltage and h’ is a by using Nottingham’s equation that relates arc
complex three-phase operator. voltage and arc length.
−1
v mk = i k Z tk + rak I ko ( Rak + Rck ) Z tk (12)
In the arc-impedance-controlled model the error
where signal feedback can be represented by:
or
2.2 Model description for arc current control
i k = −(WD ) k hk (17) Current control, where the magnitude of the phase
currents are controlled, produces inherent interaction
where WD is constant and are usually called the arc between the three different currents and also between
gain. After substituting equation (17) into equation the electrode position controllers. When a
(12), the relationship between the change in the disturbance occurs on one of the electrode positions
measured voltage vmk and the arc length hk is defined all the arc currents will change and control must be
by: applied to all three phases. In the process all the arc-
resistances and the arc-lengths will change.
−1
vmk = Dk hk [(1 − Wk Rck )( Rako + Rck ) − Wk X k2 ]Z tk Consequently, linearising equations (7), (8) and (9)
using a first-order Taylor series expansion with
(18)
or I k = I ko + ik (24)
From here models have to be derive separately Rak = Rako + rak , k = 1,2,3 (25)
depending on the type of control method used.
give, (for k ≠ l ):
Eliminating vmk and ik from equation (19) and I 2o [( ∑ Rtk Rtl − X k X l ) 2 + ( ∑ Rtk X l ) 2 ]2
rearranging gives the arc resistance/arc length k ,l =1 k ,l =1
or (28)
rak = Bk hk k = 1,2,3 (21) These equations relate the change in arc current to
the changes in arc resistances as the latter are
adjusted by the electrode position controllers.
Each of the arc resistances is represented as a Eliminating ra1, ra2 and ra3 using equation (21) gives
function only of its associated arc length and the arc the current controlled model as follow:
characteristics D and D’.
B1α 1 B2 β 1 B 3γ 1
o
i1 I1 I 1o I 1o
i = E 2
B1α 2 B2 β 2 B3γ 2
2 3 3 Io I 2o I 2o
i3 [( ∑ Rtk Rtl − X k X l ) + ( ∑ Rtk X l ) ] 2
2 2 2
k ,l =1 k ,l =1 B1α 3 B2 β 3 B 3γ 3
Io I 3o I 3o
3
(29)
ε k = − Ak i k , k = 1,2,3 (30)
An electric arc furnace process consists of three z −2T (0.2498 z −1 + 0.3079 z −2 + 0.095 z −3 )
different electrode position controllers, one for each g kk ( z −1 ) =
1 − 3.547 z −1 + 4.826 z − 2 − 2.9967 z −3 + 0.7177 z − 4
of the three electrodes. All three regulators work on (31)
the same basis.
The step time for this digital transfer function is
A circuit diagram of an electrode position controller usually taken as 1/24 seconds to assure an accurate
using a Ward-Leonard-drive together with an model for the arc furnace controller.
amplidyne amplifier is shown in fig. 2. Modelling of
the electrode position controller is based on Two separate arrangements are needed for arc
modelling each component in the system impedance control and arc current control. Figure 1
individually. Fig. 3 shows the block diagram and figure 2 can simply be combined when the
representing the different transfer functions for each control strategy is based on maintaining the arc
component. impedance at a constant value. Note that this will
represent a single phase arrangement as the three
In the controller under discussion the error signal different arc impedances do not show any interaction.
acts as the input to an amplidyne rotating amplifier Figure 4 shows another arrangement where current
and the output of the amplidyne provides the input to control is used to maintain the input power at a
the Ward Leonard drive and the winch system moves constant preset value. The three phases, when
the electrode up or down. The arc-impedance looking at arc currents, have a fair amount of
measuring circuit compares currents proportional to interaction between them which calls for a combined
arc voltage and arc current with a reference value control strategy.
Fig. 4. Block diagram of the current controlled arc
furnace (Billings, et al., 1979)
The models were simulated assuming equal arc The industrial data obtained included two hours of
characteristics (D’=3940V/m) and electrode-position recorded data for the arc currents. Live
controller dynamics for each phase. Time steps of measurements together with reference values were
1/24sec were used throughout the simulations. obtained. The date can be used as input and output
data for a close loop system identification on the
The responses of the current- and impedance EAF. Data were also obtained for the input power
controlled models with a disturbance of 1.25 cm on and the voltage measured at the secondary terminals
one of the arc lengths are shown in Fig. 5. of the furnace transformer. The three parameters
mentioned above are directly proportional to each
From fig. 5 (Nicholson and Roebuck, 1972) we can other. Figure 6 shows the set point data (input) and
clearly see that the current control strategy results in the actual measured data (output) for the first phase
a larger accumulated power discrepancy compared of an industrial electric arc furnace during an entire
with impedance control. The reason for this is production phase. The data were sampled at 1 second
because of the direct interaction between the phase intervals. This gives a total time of 50 minutes of
currents. This means that although only one phase is data.
triggered with a disturbance all three electrode
controllers act to establish the preset input power. With three different phases to control and assuming
inherent interaction between them gives a total of
The ability of the current control strategy to reduce nine transfer functions needed. The system can be
the arc-current deviations in a shorter time than arc represented by the following equation:
OUTPUT #1 Step Response
80 From: U(1)
0.9
60
0.8
40
0.7
20
0.6
Amplitude (kA)
0
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 0.5
To: Y(1)
INPUT #1
0.4
55
0.3
arc-current (kA)
50
0.2
45 0.1
40 0
0 14 28 42 56 70
0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000
samples time (sec)
Fig. 6. Set point current and measured current Fig. 7. Step response for T11(s)
i1 T11 ( s ) T12 ( s ) T13 ( s) is1 current control furnace. These models can be
i = T ( s ) T ( s) T ( s ) i simulated to show the response of the electrode
(32)
2 21 22 23 s2 movements when disturbances are applied to the
i3 T31 ( s ) T32 ( s) T33 ( s) is 3 system.