Claims
- 1. A furnace control for a furnace for heating a material having at least first and second adjacent independently temperature controlled heating zones through which blocks of material to be heated are consecutively transported in series comprising:
- (a) surface temperature sensing means mounted on the furnace in said second zone to directly measure the surface temperature of said material as it enters said second zone from said first zone; and
- (b) means responsive to said temperature sensing means for controlling the furnace temperature in said first zone.
- 2. The method of heating material in a furnace having at least first and second independently controlled heating zones through which blocks of material are consecutively transported in series comprising the steps of:
- (a) establishing predetermined heating rates for said first zone calculated to provide a desired material surface temperature as the material enters said second zone from said first zone,
- (b) adjusting the furnace temperature in said first zone in accordance with said predetermined rates;
- (c) measuring the surface temperature of the material as it enters said second zone; and
- (d) adjusting the furnace temperature of said first zone responsive to surface temperature measurements taken in said second zone so as to produce said desired material surface temperature as the material enters said second zone.
- 3. The method of claim 2 further comprising the step of replacing the predetermined heating rates with revised heating rates based on a sequence of said surface temperature measurements.
- 4. The method of claim 2 further comprising:
- (a) providing blocks of at least two different types of material in said first furnace zone;
- (b) choosing a single type of material as a priority material in the first zone for which predetermined heating rates are established;
- (c) establishing desired material temperature parameters for the priority material type of said chosen material;
- (d) tracking movement of said priority material through the furnace; and
- (e) measuring the surface temperature of the priority material as it enters the second zone.
Parent Case Info
This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending U.S. application Ser. No. 533,980, filed Sept. 20, 1983, now abandoned.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
533980 |
Sep 1983 |
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