The Effect of Electrode Movements on Inductive Reactance in a Submerged Arc Furnace

This work discusses the effect of electrode movements on inductive reactance in a submerged arc furnace. A 3D model has been developed in ANSYS Maxwell using an eddy current solver that considers alternating current (AC). The model includes transformers, busbars, and the whole furnace. The furnace model contains electrodes, main arcs, craters, crater walls, and side arcs that connect the electrode and crater wall are taken into account for each phase. Other furnace parts such as carbon block, steel shell, and alumina brick are also incorporated. Results such as system resistance, active and reactive power distributions, and the power factors are presented. The results showed that between 68% and 76% of the reactive power comes from the Farfiled. The electrodes' contribution to the reactive power is between 3.5% and 6% due to the change of electrode length. Reactive power distributions in carbide and charge are more affected by the tip positions rather than the holder positions.