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Multiphase Modeling of Bottom-Stirred Ladle for Prediction of Slag–Steel Interface and Estimation of Desulfurization Behavior

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Abstract

Ladle furnace is a key unit in which various phenomena such as deoxidation, desulfurization, inclusion removal, and homogenization of alloy composition and temperature take place. Therefore, the processes present in the ladle play an important role in determining the quality of steel. Prediction of flow behavior of the phases present in the ladle furnace is needed to understand the phenomena that take place there and accordingly control the process parameters. In this study, first a mathematical model is developed to analyze the transient three-phase flow present. Argon gas bottom-stirred ladle with off-centered plugs has been used in this study. Volume of fluid method is used in a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model to capture the behavior of slag, steel, and argon interfaces. The results are validated with data from literature. Eye opening and slag–steel interfacial area are calculated for different operating conditions and are compared with experimental and simulated results cited in literature. Desulfurization rate is then predicted using chemical kinetic equations, interfacial area, calculated from CFD model, and thermodynamic data, obtained from the Thermo-Calc software. Using the model, it is demonstrated that the double plug purging is more suitable than the single plug purging for the same level of total flow. The advantage is more distinct at higher flow rates as it leads higher interfacial area, needed for desulfurization and smaller eye openings (lower oxygen/nitrogen pickup).

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Abbreviations

ρ :

Density of the mixture (kg/m3)

ρ q :

Density of each phase q (steel, slag, argon) (kg/m3)

κ :

Local level of turbulent kinetic energy (m2/s2)

\( \kappa_{\text{in}} \) :

Inlet turbulent kinetic energy (m2/s2)

ϵ :

Local level of turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate (m2/s3)

ϵ in :

Inlet turbulent kinetic energy dissipation rate (m2/s3)

μ :

Dynamic viscosity of molten steel (kg/ms))

μ t :

Turbulent viscosity of molten steel (kg/ms)

μ e :

Effective viscosity of molten steel (kg/ms)

\( \alpha_{\text{q}} \) :

Volume fraction of particular phase q

\( \Lambda \) :

Average optical basicity of the slag

\( \Lambda_{i} \) :

Optical basicity of individual oxides

ϵs :

Stirring power (W/ton)

A :

Interfacial area between slag and steel (m2)

(CaO):

CaO in the slag

(CaS):

CaS in the slag

C S :

Sulfide capacity of slag

D plug :

Diameter of the plug (m)

G k :

Generation of turbulent kinetic energy due to mean velocity gradient

G b :

Generation of turbulent kinetic energy due to buoyancy

g :

Acceleration due to gravity (m/s2)

H :

Height of liquid steel melt (m)

k s :

Mass transfer rate (m/s)

k [O] :

Equilibrium constant of aluminum oxidation reaction

L S :

Sulfur distribution ratio

M L :

Ratio of slag to steel weights

NLM:

Argon flow rate in Liter/Minute at STP

N fi :

Mole fraction of the particular oxide in the slag

[O]:

Dissolved oxygen in the melt

[O pct]:

Oxygen concentration in the liquid steel melt (wt pct)

p :

Local pressure in the fluid (pa)

P o :

Pressure at the top of the Ladle (atm)

Pr t :

Prandtl number

q :

Phase notations l: Liquid steel, g: argon gas, s: slag

Q :

Argon flow rate (N m3/s)

[S]:

Sulfur composition in the steel melt (wt pct)

(S):

Sulfur content in the slag (wt pct)

[S]L :

Final sulfur content in slag (wt pct)

[S]0 :

Initial sulfur content in slag(wt pct)

T :

Temperature (K)

t :

Time instant (s)

u i :

Velocity component of the fluid (m/s)

v :

Local velocity (m/s)

V in :

Inlet velocity at the plug (m/s)

V :

Volume of steel (m3)

W st :

Weight of liquid steel (ton)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. TCS Innovation Labs-TRDDC, 54B, Hadapsar Industrial Estate, Hadapsar, Pune, Maharashtra, India

    Umesh Singh (Scientist) & Saurabh Mangal (Researcher)

  2. Grace Davison Chemical India Pvt. Ltd., Chennai, India

    Ravikiran Anapagaddi (Researcher)

  3. University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India

    Kuppuswamy Anantha Padmanabhan (University Chair Professor)

  4. Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, Kanpur, India

    Amarendra Kumar Singh (Professor)

Authors
  1. Umesh Singh
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  2. Ravikiran Anapagaddi
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  3. Saurabh Mangal
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  4. Kuppuswamy Anantha Padmanabhan
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Correspondence to Umesh Singh.

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Manuscript submitted September 15, 2015.

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Singh, U., Anapagaddi, R., Mangal, S. et al. Multiphase Modeling of Bottom-Stirred Ladle for Prediction of Slag–Steel Interface and Estimation of Desulfurization Behavior. Metall Mater Trans B 47, 1804–1816 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11663-016-0620-2

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