Blister Copper Taphole Monitoring Development

Taphole operations are critical to safe and successful furnace operation. The accurate monitoring of the taphole condition is important as the basis for safe, timely, and optimised maintenance strategies. The data obtained can also inform future design improvements. This study investigated the placement of instrumentation to monitor performance and wear on the blister tapholes designed by Tenova Pyromet for the direct-to-blister flash furnace and the slag cleaning furnace at the BHP Olympic Dam operation. Various taphole refractory conditions, operational conditions, and maintenance actions were simulated to determine the relative sensitivity of the taphole instrumentation's response at several positions within the taphole assembly. Conclusions are reached on which of the thermocouple positions are sufficiently sensitive to accurately measure actual taphole wear. In addition, the impact of indirect factors influencing the measurements and the practicalities of the installation of the instrumentation are considered. Finally, recommendations are presented for the implementation of a strategy for interpreting the measured data to employ as a basis for taphole wear monitoring and the determination of operational limits.