{"id":{"repo_id":"cape-town","oai_identifier":"oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/18232"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/cape-town/oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/18232","repository":{"repo_id":"cape-town","name":"University of Cape Town","base_url":"https://open.uct.ac.za/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Electrode length measurement in electric arc furnaces","abstract":"Accurate measurement of electrode length in electric arc furnaces will result in decreased maintenance time, and improved plant productivity. This thesis describes the development of a microwave-based Soderberg electrode length-measurement system. Various methods of electrode-length measurement were investigated, and it was found that a microwave measurement system based on a conventional frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar presented the most feasible technique. In this system, microwaves are propagated down a waveguide placed in the electrode. As the waveguide melts, they continue propagating in the resulting cavity until they are reflected by the discontinuity at the bottom of the electrode. The time taken for the return journey to the bottom of the electrode and back is measured, and the electrode length calculated.","abstract_html":"Accurate measurement of electrode length in electric arc furnaces will result in decreased maintenance time, and improved plant productivity. This thesis describes the development of a microwave-based Soderberg electrode length-measurement system. Various methods of electrode-length measurement were investigated, and it was found that a microwave measurement system based on a conventional frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar presented the most feasible technique. In this system, microwaves are propagated down a waveguide placed in the electrode. As the waveguide melts, they continue propagating in the resulting cavity until they are reflected by the discontinuity at the bottom of the electrode. The time taken for the return journey to the bottom of the electrode and back is measured, and the electrode length calculated.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Ballard, Norman"],"institution":"Department of Electrical Engineering","degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":1995,"date_issued":"1995","date_published":"1995","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:23:17Z","subjects":[],"languages":["eng"],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/11427/18232","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Ballard, Norman"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2016-03-28T14:23:06Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2016-03-28T14:23:06Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["1995"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.department","label":"Dc Publisher Department","values":["Department of Electrical Engineering"]},{"key":"dc:publisher.institution","label":"Dc Publisher Institution","values":["University of Cape Town"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Master Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationlevel","label":"Dc Type Qualificationlevel","values":["Masters"]},{"key":"dc:type.qualificationname","label":"Dc Type Qualificationname","values":["MSc (Eng)"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["eng"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/11427/18232"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Accurate measurement of electrode length in electric arc furnaces will result in decreased maintenance time, and improved plant productivity. This thesis describes the development of a microwave-based Soderberg electrode length-measurement system. Various methods of electrode-length measurement were investigated, and it was found that a microwave measurement system based on a conventional frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar presented the most feasible technique. In this system, microwaves are propagated down a waveguide placed in the electrode. As the waveguide melts, they continue propagating in the resulting cavity until they are reflected by the discontinuity at the bottom of the electrode. The time taken for the return journey to the bottom of the electrode and back is measured, and the electrode length calculated."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Electrode length measurement in electric arc furnaces"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:creator":["Ballard, Norman"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2016-03-28T14:23:06Z"],"dc:date.available":["2016-03-28T14:23:06Z"],"dc:date.issued":["1995"],"dc:description.abstract":["Accurate measurement of electrode length in electric arc furnaces will result in decreased maintenance time, and improved plant productivity. This thesis describes the development of a microwave-based Soderberg electrode length-measurement system. Various methods of electrode-length measurement were investigated, and it was found that a microwave measurement system based on a conventional frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) radar presented the most feasible technique. In this system, microwaves are propagated down a waveguide placed in the electrode. As the waveguide melts, they continue propagating in the resulting cavity until they are reflected by the discontinuity at the bottom of the electrode. The time taken for the return journey to the bottom of the electrode and back is measured, and the electrode length calculated."],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/11427/18232"],"dc:language.iso":["eng"],"dc:publisher.department":["Department of Electrical Engineering"],"dc:publisher.institution":["University of Cape Town"],"dc:title":["Electrode length measurement in electric arc furnaces"],"dc:type":["Master Thesis"],"dc:type.qualificationlevel":["Masters"],"dc:type.qualificationname":["MSc (Eng)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:23:17Z"}