A sideways tuyere probe has been developed to measure in and around the raceway and deadman region in the blast furnace in operation. The probe was installed at No.5 blast furnace in Chiba Works. The probe has the advantage that it does not introduce any disturbance in the raceway phenomena because the probe is driven 3m into the furnace with an oblique angle to the tuyere axis through the No.25 tuyere adjacent to No.24 tuyere that is to be observed.
Measurements were mainly carried out to investigate chemical composition of gas, coke and molten materials, temperature profile and fluid dynamics in the vicinity of the raceway region. Results obtained are as follows:
(1) The combustion in and around the raceway occurs symmetrically both to the deadman and to the side direction of the raceway.
(2) Change in raceway depth with the blast condition can be estimated with HATANO'S equation.
(3) The silicon content of dripping metal is high in the interior of the raceway while outside it is almost the same level as that of tapped metal.
(4) High (FeO) slag which is oxidized by the blast oxygen exists within the raceway.
