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Investigation of the Air-Argon-Steel-Slag Flow in an Industrial RH Reactor with VOF–DPM Coupled Model

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Abstract

A coupled three-dimensional volume of fluid method–discrete phase model (VOF–DPM) is developed to investigate the air-argon-steel-slag flow in an industrial Rheinsahl–Heraeus (RH) reactor while considering the expansion of argon bubbles. The simulated results of mixing time and recirculation flow rate of molten steel, and the flow pattern and local velocity of water agree well with the measured results reported in the literature. Comparison of the results with and without consideration of the expansion of bubbles indicates that the expansion of bubbles has an enormous impact on the multiphase flow in the industrial RH reactor. The proposed mathematical model presents a more realistic free surface in the RH vacuum vessel.

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Abbreviations

A b :

Bubble surface area (m2)

C b :

Bubble heat capacity (J/kg K)

C D :

Drag coefficient

d b :

Bubble diameter (m)

D :

Snorkel diameter (m)

\( \vec{g} \) :

Gravitational acceleration vector (m/s2)

h b :

Heat transfer coefficient (J/m2 s K)

k m :

Turbulent kinetic energy (m2/s2)

P, P vac, P 0 :

Pressure (N/m2)

Q b, Q l :

Argon flow rate (Nm3/s), and steel recirculation flow rate (m3/s)

r b, r b,0 :

Bubble radius (m)

Re b :

Reynolds number

T l, T b, T b,0 :

Temperature (K)

\( \vec{u}_{\text{i}} \) :

Velocity (m/s)

V b :

Bubble volume (m3)

Sc t :

Turbulent Schmidt number

α i :

Volume fraction

ε m :

Turbulent energy dissipation rate (m2/s3)

λ b :

Thermal conductivity (J/m s K)

μ m, μ t,m :

Volume average viscosity, turbulent viscosity (kg/m s)

ρ i, ρ m :

Density (kg/m3)

b:

Bubble

g:

Top gas

l:

liquid steel

m:

Mixing of the continuous phases

s:

Slag

t:

Turbulent

vac:

At the vacuum chamber

0:

At the nozzle tip

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Materials Science and Engineering, Chongqing University, Chongqing, 400044, China

    Gujun Chen, Shengping He & Yugang Li

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  1. Gujun Chen
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  2. Shengping He
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Correspondence to Shengping He.

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Manuscript submitted June 10, 2016.

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Chen, G., He, S. & Li, Y. Investigation of the Air-Argon-Steel-Slag Flow in an Industrial RH Reactor with VOF–DPM Coupled Model. Metall Mater Trans B 48, 2176–2186 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11663-017-0992-y

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