The supply of power to three-phase, electric-arc steelmaking furnaces — a review

The steelmaking arc furnace possesses properties which make it an unique industrial load to Supply Authorities. The paper reviews these properties with specific emphasis to matters of furnace and supply system design and associated problems of measurement. The development over the past decade of voltage fluctuation measurement is reviewed together with the current guide lines used by the UK Electricity Supply Authority when connecting arc furnaces. Some views are expressed on the likely nature of arc furnace development with specific reference to the United Kingdom.