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Procedia Engineering 129 (2015) 231 – 238

International Conference on Industrial Engineering

The study of continuous rolling mill inter-stand tension inferential

control systems
Shokhin V.V., Permyakova O.V.*
Nosov Magnitogorsk State Technical University Magnitogorsk, Russia

Abstract

The inter-stand tension inferential control systems are used to stabilize the rolling motor torque. To stabilize the motor torque the
electric drive system with the properties of the rolling motor torque supply may also be used. An alternate option may include
torque stabilization by to the effect on speed of the previous, further or controlled mill stand. The tension control accuracy
depends on how exact the unhindered rolling torque is determined. Nevertheless, a change in tension due to this factor may result
in improving gauge accuracy in some systems. Using the model of the continuous rolling mill, the paper considers the force
interaction between the stand electric drives for different technological conditions of rolling. It analyses the operation of the
rolling mill using different system for tension inferential control. The finished studies prove that size alignment is provided with
the tension control system affecting speed of the further stands. The paper verifies that the characteristics of the rolling mill
including aligning ability depend on the rolling speed. It is a good practice to apply those results during the selection and
calculation of the inferential tension controllers.
©©2015
2015The
TheAuthors.
Authors. Published
Published by by Elsevier
Elsevier Ltd.Ltd.
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
Peer-review under responsibility of the organizing committee of the International Conference on Industrial Engineering (ICIE-
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2015).
Peer-review under responsibility of the organizing committee of the International Conference on Industrial Engineering (ICIE-2015)

Keywords: electric drive, rolling mill, tension control, simulation, stand force interaction, size alignment.

1. Introduction

On the modern bar and wire mills inter-stand tension is controlled at rolling [1, 2]. For a variety of reasons, it is
impossible to use tension direct control systems that is why tension value is inferred by the rolling motor torque. The
rolling motor torque is defined with the torque of unhindered rolling that at a first approximation can be specified as

* Corresponding author. Tel.:+7-919-113-81-27.

E-mail address: shww@mgn.ru

1877-7058 © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license
(http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
Peer-review under responsibility of the organizing committee of the International Conference on Industrial Engineering (ICIE-2015)
doi:10.1016/j.proeng.2015.12.038
232 V.V. Shokhin and O.V. Permyakova / Procedia Engineering 129 (2015) 231 – 238

constant during rolling and torques affected by the front and back tensions. If there is no back tension for the first
stand, so after the torque of unhindered rolling of the stands has been estimated with one of the possible methods, we
can evaluate torque components from tension effect for each stand of the rolling mill. With these values, we can
develop the systems for inter-stand tension control while stabilizing the torque of the rolling motor.

2. Relevance

To stabilize the motor torque the electric drive system with properties of the rolling motor torque supply may be
used. An al-ternate variant may include torque stabilization due to the effect on speed of the previous, further or
controlled mill stand. A disadvantage of such systems is sensitivity of the unhindered rolling torque to fluctuating
technological conditions of rolling. It ultimately affects accuracy of the tension control. In some cases, however,
resulting tension deviations at rolling with such systems may have a beneficial effect on size alignment. Because of
the need to increase gauge accuracy and provide stability of continuous rolling it is relevant to study and compare
different tension control systems.

3. Problem statement

According to the studies [4–7], when the rolling motor torque is controlled by effecting the roll speed of the
further stand this system can adjust tension as well as align sizes at measuring technological conditions of rolling. It
is associated with elastic ex-pansion of the stand at changing rolling conditions. Specifically, when increasing the
original size of rolled products, yield stress and friction coefficient in the deformation zone that should result in gain
of the motor torque; rolling product size in the reduction direction due to the stand elastic expansion the front tension
for the stand will also grow. It will influence size reduction as at raising tension the roll pressure and stand elastic
expansion are decreased. As a result, changing roll product size occurs to a lesser extent, that is, gauge alignment is
enabled [8].
The study aims to determine effect of the fluctuating technological conditions of rolling on distribution of inter-
stand tensions and loads of rolling motors for three variants of the continuous rolling mill: with the speed control
system only, for electric drive of the rolling mill with properties of the torque supply as well as for the system
stabilizing the torque due to the effect on speed of the following stand of the inter-stand gap.

4. Theory

We consider the wire mill with four-roll passes that uses a variable frequency electric drive with the
asynchronous vector speed control motor [9-12].
The rolling mill is simulated by means of MATLAB environment and SIMULINK application [13, 14]. Structural
diagrams of the asynchronous motor with frequency converter and vector speed control have been developed, the
structural diagram of strip within the inter-stand gap is also provided.
Equations describing operation of the asynchronous motor in the rotating coordinates are offered in [9].
According to these equations, the structural diagram of the asynchronous electric motor at alignment of the rotating
Į-ȕ coordinates due to the vector of rotor's flux linkage (Fig. 1) is provided. Inputs of this model are U1Į and U1ȕ
projections of the voltage space vector, the Ms value of static torque of the electric drive. Output variables are the Ȧ
rotor speed of the asynchronous motor and value of the flux linkage of ȥ2 rotor. The model relies on saturation of the
motor magnetic system [15, 16].
The structure of the automatic speed and motor torque control system accounts for the principle of the
subordinate coordinate adjustment (Fig. 2). Flux linkage is controlled with double-circuit; speed is controlled with
two-circuits for control of the current component in ȕ-direction, motor torque and speed [8, 9]. Inputs of this model
are signals setting motor speed and rotor flux linkage, feedback signals of the i1ȕ and i1Į current components, rotor
flux linkage and motor speed. Outputs are U1Į and U1ȕ projections of the voltage space vector.
 V.V. Shokhin and O.V. Permyakova / Procedia Engineering 129 (2015) 231 – 238 233

Fig.1. Structural diagram of the asynchronous motor model

Fig.2. Structural diagram of the speed control system model

For simulation of strip behavior within the inter-stand gap the known tension expression in the integral form,
proposed first by D.P. Morozov [17, 18], is used. Speed calculation considers the values of leads and lags of the
metal speed related to the roll speed in the deformation zones. Strip behavior model is shown in Fig. 3. Input
variables of this model are rotation speed of rolls of the adjacent stands; an output variable is the value of tension
within the inter-stand gap.
234 V.V. Shokhin and O.V. Permyakova / Procedia Engineering 129 (2015) 231 – 238

EQ t
T i (v
i, i  1 ³ i  1  vi )dt  T(i, i  1)0 .
l
i, i  1 0
where E – elasticity modulus of the rolled material; Qi – cross-section of strip between i and i+1 stands; li,i+1– length
of the inter-stand gap; vi,vi+1 – speed of metal output from rolls of the stand with i order number and metal entry to
the stand with i+1 order number.

Fig.3. Structural diagram of the strip model in the inter-stand gap.

At simulation, each model has the form of subsystem with input and output parameters. It enables a relatively
easy simulating the multi-stand mill with stand electric drives correlated through the rolled strip.
The established model of the continuous three-stand rolling mill is shown in Fig. 4.

Fig.4. Model of the continuous three-stand mill

(ASCS– automatic speed control systems of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd stands; AM– models of asynchronous motors of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd stands;
M – torques of motors of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd stands, Mrol – torques of rolling of the 1st, 2nd and 3rd stands; v – peripheral speed of rollers of the
1st, 2nd and 3rd stands; F12 , F23 – tensions in the first and second inter-stand gaps).
 V.V. Shokhin and O.V. Permyakova / Procedia Engineering 129 (2015) 231 – 238 235

Torques of the stand motors change due to the variations of the rolling technological conditions. So, the torques at
rolling are effected by the origin size of the rolled products, friction coefficient in the deformation zone and yield
stress of the rolled strip. During investigations, such changes were simulated by setting a deviation of the rolling
torque to 10% in one of the stands and changing values of the inter-stand tensions and motor torques of every stand
was calculated. Investigation results are provided in Table 1 and 2.

Table 1 Tension Alterations at Rolling Torque Fluctuation in the Stand

Specified Conditions Change of Trol in the Inter-stand Tension Alteration, T
stand by 10% Stand 1 – 2 Stand 2 – 3
Rate of the output in the 1. 117.7 10.7
stand 178 1/s
in the 2. -79 80
ASCS in the 3. -67.3 -69.3
Rate of the output in the 1. 472 181
stand 17.8 1/s in the 2. -219 297.7
in the 3. -102 -328
Rate of the output in the 1. 0 0
stand 178 1/s in the 2. -1000 0
Tm3=const in the 3. -1000 -1000
Tm2=const (ED- Rate of the output
torque source) in the 1. 0 0
stand 17.8 1/s
in the 2. -1000 0
in the 3. -1000 -1000
Rate of the output in the 1. 464 -58.1
Torque stand 178 1/s in the 2. -32.8 373
stabilization Tm1 in the 3. -3 -48.1
, Tm2 due to Rate of the output in the 1. 870 600
the front tension stand 17.8 1/s in the 2. -30 765
in the 3. -10 -110

Table 2 Motor Torque Alterations at Rolling Torque Fluctuation in the Stand

Specified Conditions Change of Trol in the Motor torque alteration, Tm
stand by 10% 1 2 3
Rate of the output in the 1. 88.8 10.8 1.5
stand 178 1/s
in the 2. 8.5 82.6 7
in the 3. 0.4 6.3 93.5
ASCS
Rate of the output in the 1. 52.6 29.2 18.3
stand 17.8 1/s
in the 2. 21.9 48.3 30.5
in the 3. 10.4 21.9 67.3
Rate of the output in the 1. 100 0 0
stand 178 1/s
in the 2. 99.8 0 0
Tm3=const in the 3. 99.9 0 0
Tm2=const (ED-
Rate of the output in the 1. 100 0 0
torque source)
stand 17.8 1/s
in the 2. 100 0 0
in the 3. 99.9 0 0
Rate of the output in the 1. 53.6 52.2 -5.5
stand 178 1/s
in the 2. 3.3 59.3 37.5
Torque
stabilization Tm1 in the 3. 0.3 4.5 95.5
, Tm2 due to teh Rate of the output in the 1. 10 30 60
front tension stand 17.8 1/s
in the 2. 2 20 80
in the 3. 2 10 90
236 V.V. Shokhin and O.V. Permyakova / Procedia Engineering 129 (2015) 231 – 238

At low speeds and the same deviation of the rolling torque, that is, similar changes of rolling conditions,
variations of inter-stand tensions and motor torques are established to increase significantly.
For instance, when rolling conditions in the first stand are changed at high speed the deviation of tension in the
first inter-stand gap is 117.7 N, at low speed– 472 N; here, tension variations in the second gap amount 10.7 N and
181 N, correspondingly. At this, the most essential motor torque changes take place in those stands where rolling
conditions vary while motor torques of other stands alter due to the changing inter-stand tensions.
For electric drive with properties of the toque supply [19] all alternations of rolling conditions in the second and
third stand are proven to result in changing motor torque of the first stand. As we can see, changes of the rolling
conditions in the mill stands of such system spread against rolling direction and may significantly load motors of the
first mill stands. Furthermore, the value of the rolling speed with the use of the system considered does not effect on
the value of variations of inter-stand tension and rolling motor torques.
In the systems stabilizing motor torque due to the front tension alterations of the rolling torques in the stands lead
to substan-tial changing front tension enabling alignment of the rolled product sizes. In this case changes of the
rolling conditions in the mill stands spread in the rolling direction increasing loads of the further motors. Here, when
rolling conditions undergo changes in the third stand only the motor torque of this stand will essentially raise.
It should be noted that the system stabilizing inter-stand tensions cannot promote alignment of the rolled product
size as at constant tension elastic expansion of the stand does not depend on this factor.
The results provided prove that properties of the mill depend on rolling speed. To estimate dynamic
characteristics of the continuous mill with different speeds the frequency response characteristics of the three-stand
mill (Fig.5) were determined that associate tension alternations in the inter-stand gaps and changes of the signal
setting speed for the first stand at different rolling speed.

Fig.5. Frequency response characteristics of the rolling mill at change of the speed setting for the first stand
(1,2- for rolling speed 1.78 m/s, 3,4- for rolling speed 17.8 m/s; 1,3- for the first inter-stand gap, 2,4- for the second inter-stand gap).

The analyses of characteristics show that dynamic properties of the strip have the main influence on the
frequency bandwidth in the case under consideration. At the change of rolling speed, the strip speed ratio and its
time constant will significantly vary in the inter-stand gap. Coefficients connecting speed alterations in the first
stand and inter-stand tensions have the highest values at low speeds. Speed alterations in the first stand have more
pronounced influence on the tension change in the first inter-stand gap when compared to the second. This is due to
the impact of the second (intermediate) stand acting here as a kind of damper. At low rates, the phase delay is
shifted towards the lower side under influence of the strip properties.
The frequency response characteristics obtained testify that at the use of the system stabilizing motor torque with
change of the further stand speed the rolling mill will have the best alignment capacity at lower speeds; at raising
speed the size alignment will be less efficient. However, even in that case when technological rolling conditions are
changed at higher speeds it will have less effect on the tension alteration, so improve the operation of the rolling
mill, too [20-24].
To maintain dynamic properties of the control system at change of the rolling speed one should consider a
significant alteration of speed ratios connecting the stand speed setting and values of the inter-stand tensions [25-
28].
 V.V. Shokhin and O.V. Permyakova / Procedia Engineering 129 (2015) 231 – 238 237

5. Conclusion

1. It is a good practice to use the principle of the three-stand mill modeling developed at investigation of rolling
mills with different number of the continuous stands.
2. The actual rolling mill has been quantitatively evaluated with regard to the force interaction of the electric drives
at fluc-tuations of the rolling conditions.
3. The finished studies prove that gauge alignment is provided with the tension control system effecting on speed of
the following stands. It verifies that the characteristics of the rolling mill including aligning ability depend on the
rolling speed.
4. At higher speeds the alignment property is reduced but at the same time the inter-stand tensions undergo less
alterations at fluctuations of the rolling conditions, that is, rolling operation is improved.
5. It is advisable to apply modeling methods and obtained findings to selection and calculation of the tensions
regulators for continuous rolling mills.

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