Lining design and behavior of BOF's

The high-performance refractory linings of modern basic oxygen converters require an optimized design process. Spalling and cracking still cause problems and lead to increased wear rates. Based on a thorough understanding of the refractory materials, a sophisticated design concept is demonstrated. Employing an advanced numerical method (finite element method), an optimized expansion allowance was calculated for a converter. For the given converter the optimum is at 0.8% expansion allowance. An analysis of a single brick segment was performed, and possible failure modes were identified.