Experimental Study of Control Characteristics of Electrodes Hydraulic Drives of Electric Arc Furnaces and Ladle Furnaces

To date, hydraulic drives are the most commonly used to move the arc furnace electrodes and steel finishing units. Compared to electromechanical drives, they have a number of advantages - no complex mechanical transmissions, high speed and the ability to move large masses with high acceleration. The responsible unit of the hydraulic drive is the proportional distributor (servo valve), which correct operation is essential for the proper functioning of the electrode movement control system in the electric steelmaking unit. An important parameter for the servo valve is the control characteristic, which is the dependence of the hydraulic fluid flow rate on the control signal. Precise information on the form of this characteristic is necessary for the correct adjustment of the impedance control loops in the control system. In cases where there are differences in the regulating properties of hydraulic drives in electrodes of different phases, there may be a deterioration in the dynamic quality of impedance regulation. Therefore, it is an urgent task to experimentally determine the control characteristics for the hydrodrives of the movement of the electrodes, in order to subsequently correct the non-linear regulators in the control system. The main results of this work are: studying the adjustment characteristics of servo valves in electric steelmaking units of various capacities and types. The importance of analyzing these characteristics in terms of ensuring optimal transients is shown. Practical recommendations for obtaining these characteristics are given in two ways.