Dr.-Ing. Bernd Kleimt • Tel: +49 211 / 6707 - 385 • E-Mail: bernd.kleimt@bfi.de

Within the "Process Automation Steelmaking" field the BFI concerns itself with the development of analytical mathematical models for the processes used in Steelmaking. Its work so far has focused on:

• arc and ladle furnaces
• ladle tank vacuum degassing (VD) treatment and vacuum circulation (RH) degassers
• production of high-alloy, stainless steels in vacuum oxygen degassing (VOD) facilities and argon-oxygen decarburisation (AOD) converters

The models are designed primarily for use in on-line process control systems.
This includes:

• in-process, on-line observation of the current process status
• control of the process to achieve the process target values with the minimum amount of energy and cost.

The process models serve, furthermore, to analyse and simulate the process behaviour and to optimise the process operation.