Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations were used to optimize heating elements placement on the walls of a large size electrical heat treatment furnace in order to reduce temperature gradients within the furnace and uneven temperatures on different faces of the blocks which could result in variabilities in final mechanical properties. Initial evaluations of different layouts highlighted the effectiveness of equipping two side walls. Subsequently, an optimal percentage of side wall coverage was identified through simulations and multi-objective evolutionary optimization. Genetic and pareto search algorithms yielded 10 % and 14.2 % as optimum values, respectively. Implementing an optimal coverage demonstrated significant reductions in surface temperature non-uniformity, surface-to-center temperature differential, and temperature differences between loaded blocks. These improvements suggest a potential for enhanced uniformity in mechanical properties across a batch of products. This approach presents a promising strategy for obtaining consistent and efficient heat treatment cycles in industrial heat treatment furnaces resulting in energy saving and improved product quality.

中文翻译：

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大型热处理炉加热元件布置对温度均匀性的影响


计算流体动力学模拟用于优化大型电热处理炉壁上加热元件的放置，以减少炉内的温度梯度和块体不同面上的不均匀温度，这可能导致最终机械性能的变化。对不同布局的初步评估强调了配备两个侧壁的有效性。随后，通过模拟和多目标进化优化确定了侧壁覆盖的最佳百分比。遗传算法和 Pareto 搜索算法分别得出 10% 和 14.2% 的最佳值。实施最佳覆盖范围表明，表面温度不均匀性、表面到中心温差以及负载块之间的温差显着降低。这些改进表明有可能提高一批产品机械性能的均匀性。这种方法提出了一种有前途的策略，可以在工业热处理炉中获得一致且高效的热处理循环，从而节省能源并提高产品质量。