A long-term and comprehensive study of the blast furnace hearth and associated phenomena has been carried out. Based on a framework of fundamental knowledge of hearth drainage (physical modelling experiments and mathematical modelling), interpretation of real-time operational data and events is now possible. Continuous casting experiments of slag-only and slag-iron drainage have shown that under simulated furnace conditions, casting performance of individual tapholes is influenced by the previous cast and to a lesser extent, the casting schedule. The dependence of individual drainage rates of slag and iron and hence, the removal of slag, on liquid levels in the hearth simulator has been investigated. Finally, results of a new online three-dimensional, numerical model are discussed in relation to assisting operators in determining when to open tapholes or whether to overlap a cast.
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