Assessment of the Thermal Radiation Regime of the Crane Operator Workplace for Making the Reasonable Choice of the Climate System of the Metallurgical Crane Cabin
The tendency of increasing of radiation sources power in metallurgy leads to an increase in the level of thermal radiation at the crane operator workplaces. The state of their health is characterized by a decrease in physical performance, the occurrence of colds, and occupational diseases of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Therefore, it is necessary to evaluate the thermal radiation regime of the crane operator workplace for further justification of the choice of the method and means of thermal protection. To assess the thermal irradiation of the metallurgical crane cabin, along with the method of building the thermal irradiation plot, the finite element method was used which was integrated into the automated software package ANSYS, into its plug-in Fluid Flow (Fluent) designed to build models of convective energy transfer by a liquid or gas flow. Flow turbulence is described by the Shear Stress Transport (SST) model. The article examines the thermal radiation situation in the steelmaking shop, which determines the choice of means to ensure an optimal microclimate at the crane operator workplace. It was revealed that the thermal radiation and the temperature of the railings of the metallurgical crane cabin significantly exceed the maximum permissible level, as a result of which it became impossible to choose a climate system that provides for a comfortable air temperature inside the cabin. To reduce the thermal load on the designed climate system, thermal protection elements are introduced into the design of the metallurgical crane cabin, such as a heat-reflecting screen of the floor and side wall and double glazing of the front wall. Then a high-temperature industrial air conditioner was selected, the efficiency of which was confirmed by the results of computer simulation. Thus, for a reasonable choice of the climate system of a metallurgical crane cabin, it is required to have rational combination of the methods and means of thermal protection used at the equipment design stage.