Real time simulator for the runout table of hot strip mills

In a hot strip mill, the strip is cooled by spraying water from top and bottom on the runout table (ROT), before the strip is coiled. The desired mechanical properties and metallurgical structure of the strip is achieved by controlling the cooling rate and temperature of the strip on the ROT. This paper describes a novel real time simulator for ROTs. The simulator has been implemented in parallel on a multi-transputer system. The proposed simulator can interact with a controller in real time and can serve as a valuable design tool for evaluating the performance of controllers for ROTS. In addition, the simulator can be used as a tool for the design of new ROT layouts as well.