Enhanced Safety in Electric Arc Furnace: Early Detection of Water Leaks and Refractory Wear Using Optical Fiber Sensors

Electric Arc Furnaces (EAFs) experience safety and operational issues resulting from water leaks and refractory wear, which conventional monitoring techniques fail to detect in real-time. This study investigates the use of optical fiber sensors, particularly Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) and Rayleigh backscatter (RBS) based sensing technology, in the early detection of these issues. Controlled laboratory experiments using MgO refractory bricks demonstrated the sensor’s ability to detect water leaks at a 9.2 cc/min drip-rate. A plant trial at SSAB Montpelier further validated their effectiveness in monitoring the thermal dynamics of refractory bricks inside an EAF in operation. The sensors recorded 14 hours of continuous real-time temperature data. The results confirm the sensor’s efficiency in enhanced safety, reducing maintenance costs, and minimizing operational downtime.