Development of burden distribution control with an advanced bell-less top at Chiba No.6 blast furnace

A new bell-less top was installed at Chiba ndegrees 6 blast furnace in 1998. It was designed in view of an advanced burden distribution control method. Its main features are a rotating chute with a stabilizer and the possibility of reverse and forward tilting. Reduced scale model experiments have been used to develop this system. An accurate simulator was also developed for burden distribution. The results of simulation have been used to implement operational charging conditions making use of reverse tilting. The test operation confirmed that burden profile and gas distribution could be controlled satisfactorily with this method.