The technology, which is designed to operate in harsh environments, provides real-time measurements of combusiton products and temperature, enabling the optimization of electric arc furnaces, basic oxygen furnaces, and reheat furnaces.

Zolo has installed and commissioned systems on more than 80 industrial heaters, boilers and furnaces, and in 2013, it introduced ZoloSCAN to the steel industry.

Steelmakers have rapidly accepted the technology, seeing quantifiable fuel savings and quality improvements, Zolo said in a statement.

“The steel industry has received the ZoloSCAN technology with great enthusiasm,” said Zolo president Reed Sarver. “Our steel customers tell us that they are particularly happy with the response speed of the ZoloSCAN, its low maintenance requirements, and its ability to make accurate, actionable in-situ measurements.”

The system measures oxygen, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, water and temperature on a near-real-time basis with a single laser path. It provides process feedback in less than two seconds, allowing for improved control of energy and metallurgical inputs to the EAF process and end of oxygen blow measurement for BOFs.

For steel reheat furnaces, the technology enables the implementation of as many as 24 laser paths from one ZoloSCAN system, which, in many cases, supports the outfitting of two or three side-by-side reheat furnaces, the company said.  

Additionally, the system can measure water vapor directly, providing a way to detect leaks.