An Intelligent Optimization Strategy for Blast Furnace Charging Operation Considering Three-Dimensional Burden Surface Shape

Today, a well-devised charging operation scheme is urgently needed by on-site workmen and is critical for building an intelligent blast furnace (BF). Previous research on charging operations always focused on the two-dimensional shape of the burden surface (i.e., a single radial profile) while neglecting the unique feature of global dissymmetry, severely restricting the development of precise charging. For this reason, this study proposes an innovative optimization strategy for the charging operation under the three-dimensional burden surface, which is the first attempt in this field. First, a practicable region partitioning scheme is introduced, and the partitioning results are then integrated with the charging mechanism to construct a three-dimensional burden surface prediction model. Next, the intrinsic relationship between the operational parameters and charging volume is revealed based on the law of mass conservation, which forms the basis for defining a novel operational parameter with variable-speed utility, referred to as the neotype charging matrix (NCM). To find the best NCM, a customized NCM optimization strategy, involving a dual constraint handling technique in conjunction with a two-stage hybrid variable differential evolution algorithm, is further developed. The industrial experiment results manifest that the partitioning scheme significantly enhances the accuracy of burden surface description. Moreover, the NCM optimization strategy offers greater flexibility and higher accuracy than current mainstream optimization strategies for the charging matrix (CM).