The thesis is devoted to efficiency improvement in performance of heat soaking with single top burner and smprovement of quality heating of ingots. The results of complex investigations of metal heating in heat soaking with flat-flamme burner using are presented. The comparison of typical and reconstructed soaking of working area and the results of experimetal heating of metal are given. The thesis includes industrial test results of metal heating with new technology. The relation of a heating asymmetry factor to heat rate distribution of heat soaking between the main and additional zones of heating is presented. The rational models of ingot heating in a soaking pit at unstable activity conditions of mill are designed. The calculated relation of ingot thermal state at the end of preliminary heat time in a soaking pit depending on its duration is worked out.

Key words: heat soaking, burner, heating zone, quality heating, fuel.