Temperature measurement of streams of molten pig iron during pouring using infrared computer vision

Accurate temperature measurement in industrial environments is as important as it is challenging. Precise control over temperature measurement is especially important when processing metals, such as iron or steel, where temperature monitoring is critical to productivity and product quality. In the steel manufacturing process, temperature measurement of molten pig iron is particularly important, as it is a required parameter of the physical models used to control operations in steel furnaces. However, measuring the temperature of molten pig iron is not an easy task. Conventional methods using thermocouples or pyrometers present serious drawbacks which limit their applicability. Nor are they able to provide accurate measurements. In this work an infrared computer vision system is proposed to measure the temperature of molten pig iron while it is being poured. The proposed system confronts two challenges: the stream must be detected in the infrared images, and the slag, which can partially cover the stream of molten pig iron, must be detected and removed from the stream. Fast, robust and accurate methods are proposed. Tests indicate that the results meet production needs.