Machine Learning-Based Tap Temperature Prediction and Control for Optimized Power Consumption in Stainless Electric Arc Furnaces (EAF) of Steel Plants

Abstract

The steel industry has been forced to switch from the traditional blast furnace to the electric arc furnace (EAF) process to reduce carbon emissions. However, EAF still relies entirely on the operators’ proficiency to determine the electrical power input. This study aims to enhance the efficiency of the EAF process by predicting the tap temperature in real time through a data-driven approach and by applying a system that automatically sets the input amount of power to the production site. We developed a tap temperature prediction model (TTPM) with a machine learning (ML)-based support vector regression (SVR) algorithm. The operation data of the stainless EAF, where the actual production work was carried out, were extracted, and the models using six ML algorithms were trained. The model validation results show that the model with an SVR radial basis function (RBF) algorithm resulted in the best performance with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 20.14. The SVR algorithm performed better than the others for features such as noise. As a result of a five-month analysis of the operating performance of the developed TTPM for the stainless EAF, the tap temperature deviation decreased by 17% and the average power consumption decreased by 282 kWh/heat compared with the operation that depended on the operator’s skill. In the results of the economic evaluation of the facility investment, the economic feasibility was found to be sufficient, with an internal rate of return (IRR) of 35.8%. Applying the developed TTPM to the stainless EAF and successfully operating it for ten months verified the system’s reliability. In terms of the increasing proportion of EAF production used to decarbonize the steel industry, it is expected that various studies will be conducted more actively to improve the efficiency of the EAF process in the future. This study contributes to the improvement of steel companies’ manufacturing competitiveness and the carbon neutrality of the steel industry by achieving the energy and production efficiency improvements associated with the EAF process.