Ph.D student Stein O. Wasbø

Status

I started my Ph.D. study in August 1993 and will finish my doctoral degree in 1996. My doctoral work is financed by the EXPOMAT programme, having Elkem a.s. as my industrial partner. My supervisor is Prof. Bjarne A. Foss.

Research area

The preliminary title of my PhD thesis is 'Modelling and Identification of a HC-FeMn furnace' (High-carbon ferromanganese). However, since I've concentrated on modelling using an object-oriented approach and done less work on identification, the title will be somewhat changed. The work on this project is done in close cooperation with Elkem and in particular with the Elkem Mangan PEA plant, since one of the furnaces at PEA is used as a case in the project.

This year I have continued my work on developing and validating a dynamic metallurgical model of the furnace based on first principles modelling. This autumn I've also looked into how formal language descriptions of the process topology, both on component level and on (sub-)unit level, can be applied to facilitate and partly automate model implementations.

In addition to the main research area above, some modelling on other aspects of the HC-FeMn furnace has been done, such as modelling the electrical system and detailed modelling of the furnace hearth (coke-bed area).

Activities

• Presented a paper on object-oriented modelling of unit processes at DYCORD+'95 in Helsingør, Denmark in June.
• Presented the metallurgical model at INFACON7 in Trondheim, also in June.
• Wrote a paper together with Bjarne Foss and Ommund Øgård which was presented by Ommund at EUROSIM95 in Vienna in September.
• Administrative work for Prof. Bjarne Foss since he went on sabbatical leave in August.
• Co-advisor on project works done by student Håvard Røed.

Publications

• S. O. Wasbø and B. A. Foss ``An Object-Oriented Method for Process Modelling'', Preprints DYCORD+'95, pp. 117-122, Helsingør, Denmark.
• S. O. Wasbø and B. A. Foss ``Object-Oriented Model of a Ferromanganese Furnace'', Proc. INFACON7, pp. 545-554, Trondheim, Norway.
• B. A. Foss, S. O. Wasbø and O. Øgård ``Object-oriented Modelling Applied to a Reactor'', EUROSIM95, pp. 463-468, Vienna, Austria.

This spring, I will finish the modelling activities and concentrate more and more on writing the thesis. The scholarship ends in June, and I hope to finish the writing during the spring/summer. Elkem has shown interest in the work, and it is likely that I will be able to work with Elkem and continue modelling the HC-FeMn furnace after the project has ended.