Operating method for a cooling zone

Abstract

A flat rolled material ( 1 ) is transported through a cooling zone ( 2 ) such that portions ( 15 ) of the rolled material ( 1 ) successively pass through effective ranges ( 8, 9 ) of cooling installations ( 6, 7 ). Virtual rolled material points (P) are assigned to the portions ( 15 ). During transportation of the portions ( 15 ) through the cooling zone ( 2 ), tracking of the portions ( 15 ) is carried out by way of an operating cycle (δt′). The cooling installations ( 6, 7 ) are controlled so as to correspond to the respective rolled material points (P) for actual cooling outputs (mi) which are assigned to the cooling installations ( 6, 7 ). On account thereof, that portion ( 15 ) that is in each case located in the effective range ( 8, 9 ) of the respective cooling installation ( 6, 7 ) is impinged with a respective amount of coolant. The cooling installations ( 6, 7 ) are subdivided into released and non-released cooling installations. A rolled material point (P) is in each case iteratively selected. Before the corresponding portion ( 15 ), proceeding from a starting point (xA), reaches the effective range ( 8, 9 ) of the next released cooling installation ( 6, 7 ), a state (E) which the respective rolled material point (P) has at the starting point (xA) is determined.

1 . An operating method for a cooling zone for cooling a flat rolled material;
 wherein the cooling zone has a multiplicity of cooling installations;   the method comprising:   transporting the rolled material through the cooling zone such that portions of the rolled material successively pass through effective ranges of the cooling installations;   assigning one virtual rolled material point to each of the portions of the rolled material;   tracking the portions of the rolled material during transportation of the portions of the rolled material through the cooling zone at an operating cycle (δt′); and   controlling the cooling installations according to actual cooling outputs (mi) of the cooling installations assigned to the respective rolled material points (P) for the respective cooling installations so that portion of the rolled material that is in each case located in an effective range of the respective cooling installation is impinged with a respective amount of coolant;   subdividing the cooling installations into released cooling installations which release coolant during the operating method and non-released cooling installations, which prevent release of coolant during the operating method, wherein those cooling outputs which have been applied by non-released cooling installations during the operating method are also considered in development of the state of the rolled material point, and the cooling outputs of these cooling installations are accepted as given;   iteratively selecting a virtual rolled material point (P) in respective ones of the portions of the rolled material and, in relation to the respective virtual rolled material point (P);   prior to the respective portion of the real rolled material, proceeding from a pre-defined starting point (xA), reaching an effective range of the next released cooling installation:   determining a state (E) which comprises at least one energy variable and which the respective portion of the rolled material at the starting point (xA) of the cooling zone;   determining a total amount of coolant for the rolled material point (P) by a defined total cooling function (F 1 ) and assigned as a residual amount of coolant (M) to the rolled material point (P);   mathematically simulating by using a motion diagram of transporting the rolled material point (P) through the cooling zone up to a pre-defined destination (xZ), wherein the diagram states a transportation speed vE for the selected rolled material point (P) at a simulation time (t) and calculated from the starting point (xA);   conjointly calculating temporal development of the state (E) of the rolled material point (P) during the simulation by means of a model;   each time when the rolled material point (P) reaches the effective range of one of the released cooling installations, determining a respective temporary cooling output (mi) by the then-current state (E) of the rolled material point (P) while using a cooling curve (F 2 , F 3 ) which is assigned to the respective released cooling installation,   assigning the rolled material point (P) for the respective released cooling installation the lower of the two values of temporary cooling output (mi) and residual amount of coolant (M) as the final cooling output (mi), and reducing the residual amount of coolant (M) by the final cooling output (mi);   determining an actual variable (I) of the temperature by means of the state (E) of the rolled material point (P) at the destination (xZ) and comparing the actual variable with a pre-defined target variable (EZ), of temperature and adapting the total cooling function (F 1 ) by means of the comparison;   defining the actual cooling outputs (mi) for a number of the rolled material points (P) while using the final cooling outputs (mi) which have been determined for the selected rolled material point (P), and assigning to the respective rolled material points (P), the respective released cooling installation being assigned thereby.   
     
     
         2 . The operating method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 at least one further virtual, non-selected rolled material point (P 2  to P 4 ) lies between two directly successive selected virtual rolled material points (P 1 , P 5 );   the selecting of the later selected virtual rolled material point (P 5 ) and the carrying out of the calculations in relation to the virtual rolled material point (P 5 ) are completed before those portions of the rolled material that correspond to the non-selected rolled material points (P 2  to P 4 ), and proceeding from the starting point (xA), reach the effective range of the next released cooling installation; and   determining the actual cooling outputs (mi) for the non-selected rolled material points (P 2  to P 4 ) are determined by interpolation of the final cooling outputs (mi) which have been determined for the two adjacent selected rolled material points (P 1 , P 5 ).   
     
     
         3 . The operating method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising at least one part of the cooling installations acting on the upper side of the rolled material, such that cooling curves (F 2 ) for the one part of the cooling installations which act on the upper side of the rolled material are mutually congruent. 
     
     
         4 . The operating method as claimed in  claim 3 , further comprising a further part of the cooling installations acting on the lower side of the rolled material, such that cooling curves (F 3 ) for further part of the cooling installations which act on the lower side of the rolled material are mutually congruent. 
     
     
         5 . The operating method as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein the cooling curves (F 2 ) for the one part of the cooling installations that act on the upper side of the rolled material, on the one hand, and the cooling curves (F 3 ) for the further part of the cooling installations that act on the lower side of the rolled material, on the other hand, are mutually congruent or mutually dissimilar. 
     
     
         6 . The operating method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the starting point (xA) lies ahead of the cooling zone or in the cooling zone. 
     
     
         7 . The operating method as claimed in  claim 6 , further comprising by means of a temperature measurement spot, detecting a temperature (T) of each respective portion of the rolled material and;
 disposing the temperature measurement point at the starting point (xA), and determining the state (E) of the rolled material point (P) at the starting point (xA) by means of the detected temperature (T).   
     
     
         8 . The operating method as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein no temperature measurement spot is disposed at the starting point (xA). 
     
     
         9 . The operating method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the predetermined destination (xZ) lies in the cooling zone or behind the cooling zone. 
     
     
         10 . The operating method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising again performing those steps that follow selecting the rolled material point (P) after adapting the total cooling function (F 1 ) for the same rolled material point (P). 
     
     
         11 . The operating method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising considering time lags (t 1 , t 2 ) of the cooling installations when actuating the cooling installations. 
     
     
         12 . The operating method as claimed in  claim 11 , further comprising the cooling installations have time lags (t 1 , t 2 ), in that those steps that follow selecting the respective rolled material point (P) are completed at a completion time point, in that the respective portion of the real rolled material, proceeding from the starting point (xA), reaches the effective range of the next released cooling installation at a cooling start time point, and in that a temporal difference between the completion time point and the cooling start time point is at least the duration of the time lag (t 1 , t 2 ) of the next released cooling installation. 
     
     
         13 . The operating method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising:
 conjointly calculating the states (E) of those portions of the rolled material that are transported through the cooling zone in real time during transportation of the portions of the rolled material through the cooling zone at the operating cycle (δt′), while considering actuation of the cooling installations;   at a temperature measurement spot, detecting an actual temperature (T) of that respective portion of the rolled material that passes the temperature measurement spot; and   comparing the respective detected temperature (T) with an expected temperature for that respective portion that has been determined by means of the conjointly calculated state (E), and updating at least one parameter (k) of the model by means of the comparison.   
     
     
         14 . The operating method as claimed in  claim 1 , further comprising over the extent of the cooling zone, applying the operating method multiple times in respective regions of the cooling zone. 
     
     
         15 . The operating method as claimed in  claim 14 , further comprising not actively cooling an intermediate portion in which the rolled material lies between those regions of the cooling zone in which the operating method is applied. 
     
     
         16 . The operating method as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein those regions of the cooling zone in which the operating method is in each case applied are mutually overlapping. 
     
     
         17 . The operating method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the total cooling function (F 1 ) is dependent or independent of the state (E) of the selected rolled material point (P) at the starting point (xA). 
     
     
         18 . A computer program product comprising a non-transitory medium for storing a computer program, a computer program stored on the medium, the computer program comprising machine code which is processable by a control installation for a cooling zone, for a flat rolled material, wherein processing of the machine code by the control installation causes the control installation to operate the cooling zone according to an operating method as claimed in  claim 1 . 
     
     
         19 . A control installation for a cooling zone, for a flat rolled material, wherein the control installation is programmed using a computer program product as claimed in  claim 18 . 
     
     
         20 . A cooling zone for cooling a flat rolled material, comprising:
 the cooling zone has a multiplicity of cooling installations, each located in a respective effective range, and by each of the cooling installations impinging a portion of the rolled material that is with a respective amount of coolant;   a transport installation configured for transporting the rolled material through the cooling zone such that the portions of the rolled material successively run through the effective ranges of the cooling installations; and   wherein the cooling zone has a control installation which operates the cooling zone according to an operating method as claimed in  claim 1 .