Measurement of Electrical Parameters in High-Current Arc Furnaces

The correct measurement of electrical parameters is a fundamental requirement for the accomplishment of suitable regulatory and protective actions in electric arc furnaces. The Spanish ferroalloy company Ferroatlantica has devoted many efforts during the last years to the development and improvement of an efficient silicon production technology, based on the so-called ELSA electrodes. Previous works concentrate on the electrical characterization of ELSA electrodes for on-line monitoring purposes. In this paper, a system to measure the high currents flowing through the bus-bars of the electrodes is presented and the issues related to data acquisition from the current probes and to the calculation of significant electrical parameters of the furnace are discussed.