| CPC G01B 15/025 (2013.01) [G01B 11/303 (2013.01); G06N 20/00 (2019.01)] | 23 Claims |
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19. A method for evaluating a status of a refractory material forming part of a metallurgical vessel, comprising:
a. providing a first subsystem comprising at least one first sensor to determine
a thickness of said refractory material under evaluation at certain specific locations defining one or more zones of interest of said refractory material; a second subsystem further comprising at least one second sensor to characterize a surface roughness of an internal wall of said refractory material under evaluation over a predefined area of said internal wall comprising said one or more zones of interest of said refractory material to determine a combined thickness comprising said thickness of said refractory material and a thickness of a slag buildup on said predefined area of said internal wall; and a third subsystem further comprising a main computer-based processor further comprising a data storage device and an executable computer code configured to process a first set of data produced by said first subsystem, a second set of data produced by said second subsystem, and additional input parameters to separately estimate said thickness of said refractory material and said thickness of said slag buildup over said predefined area of said internal wall of said refractory material;
b. determining said thickness of said refractory material under evaluation using said first subsystem further comprising a transceiver capable of transmitting and receiving electromagnetic waves to and from an area surrounding said at least one first sensor, such that said electromagnetic waves impinge upon and reflect from at least a part of a predefined area of said material under evaluation, wherein said predefined area of said material under evaluation comprises a plurality of zones of interest of said internal wall of said refractory material, wherein each of said plurality of zones has an associated zone area defined by a coverage area of said at least one first sensor over said internal wall of said refractory material, and wherein said plurality of zone areas are part of one or more regions of interest conforming said predefined area of said material under evaluation;
c. determining said combined thickness of said material to be evaluated and said thickness of said slag buildup on a surface of said internal wall of said refractory material, using said second subsystem wherein said at least one second sensor characterizes said surface roughness of said internal wall of said refractory material profile over said predefined area of said material under evaluation;
d. calculating said thickness of said slag buildup on said surface of said material under evaluation, corresponding to said plurality of zones by subtracting said determined thickness of said material under evaluation at said plurality of zones from said determined combined thickness of said material under evaluation and said slag buildup on said surface of said material under evaluation over said predefined area;
e. processing said thickness of said slag buildup on said surface of said material under evaluation, corresponding to said plurality of zones, wherein said processing comprises performing at least one statistical data analysis, including averaging, of said calculated values of said thickness of said slag buildup on said surface of said material under evaluation, corresponding to said plurality of zones to determine an average value of said slag buildup thickness on said surface of such material in said regions of interest; and
f. calculating said thickness of said material under evaluation over said predefined area of said material under evaluation by subtracting said average value of said slag buildup thickness on said surface of such material in said regions of interest from said determined combined thickness of said material to be evaluated and said slag buildup on said surface of said internal wall of said refractory material.
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