OPTIMIZATION PROCESS"

THE FEASIBILITY AND DEVELOPMENT OF PROTOTYPE SOFTWARE MODULES FOR THE ECONOMIC AND TECHNICAL OPTIMIZATION OF BLASTFURNACE CHARGES IS INVESTIGATED. THESE MODULES WILL BE DESIGNED TO RUN ON DEDICATED, OPERATOR LOCAL, MICRO-COMPUTERS WITH THE INTENT OF ALLOWING RAPID SELECTION OF OPTMUM CHARGES BLENDS BASED ON BEDYARD INVENTORIES, MATERIAL AND ENERGY BALANCE CONSIDERATIONS, CHEMICAL AND THERMODYNAMIC CONSTRAINTS, PHYSICAL CONSTRAINTS, AND ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY. THE ULTIMATE PURPOSE OF THESE MODULESWOULD BE TO CONSTANTLY OPTIMIZE FEEDSTOCK AND DESIGN RUN CAMPAIGNS IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THE HIGHEST PRODUCTIVITY AND PROFITABILITY POSSIBLE BASED ON BEDYARD INVENTORIES. PROPOSED OBJECTIVES INCLUDE THE DEVELOPMENT AND SIMULATED TESTING OF THE FOLLOWING MODULES: (1) LINEAR TREND ANALYSIS MODULE, (2) MATERIAL AND ENERGY BALANCE MODULES, (3) ECONOMICS MODULE, (4) INVENTORY CONTROL MODULE, (5) CHARGE/BLEND MODULE. THE POTENTIAL BENEFITS OF SUCCESSFUL MODULES ARE ENORMOUS WHEN ONE CONSIDERS THE FINANCIAL STATE OF THE U.S. STEEL, ALUMINUM, AND COPPER INDUSTRIES. FOREIGN COMPETITION HAS ALL BUT ELIMINATED THESE DOMESTIC INDUSTRIES MAKING THE NEEDFOR INNOVATIVE RESEARCH, WHICH RESULTS IN INCREASED PRODUCTIVITY AND LOWER COSTS, EXTREMELY CRITICAL.