Control of vacuum arc furnaces

Abstract

Control of a vacuum arc furnace by means of a programmed step in the melting process is described. A model of voltage control in a vacuum arc furnace was considered in [1, 2]. However, the control algorithm is associated with considerable static error. The error may be reduced using a programmed step, corresponding to previously calculated motion of the consumable electrode so as to maintain constant melting rate and a specified range of the electrode gap. By this means, blind control of melting in the vacuum arc furnace, without any feedback, is possible for ideal electrodes. In the case of nonideal (real) electrodes, however, such blind control cannot maintain the required melting parameters. Therefore, in that case, voltage feedback must be employed. Matlab software is used for simulation of the process in the case of ideal and nonideal consumable electrodes.