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Numerical Investigation of Gas and Slag Flow in the Packed Bed

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Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In the lower part of the blast furnace (BF), with gas introduced through tuyeres and slag flowing downward from cohesive zone to the hearth, strong cross-flow of gas relative to the slag occurs in front of the raceway, while in the upper parts, counter-current flow of gas and slag exists. The interaction between gas and slag is closely associated with the special flow phenomena such as loading, flooding, or channeling. These phenomena link to furnace irregularities, affecting smooth operation and limiting production. Therefore, understanding the gas–slag interaction and its influencing factors is critical for process control and stable BF operation. In the current study, counter-current gas–slag flow in the packed bed is numerically investigated using the Volume of Fluid technique. Different superficial gas velocities, slag properties, packing structures, and gas inlets are considered in the study. The gas–slag flow behavior at a mesoscopic level was visualized. In particular, localized slag flooding and gas channeling caused by the strong interaction between gas and slag were uniquely identified. Gas channeling, which is a critical phenomenon in a packed bed with counter-current gas–slag flow, can be enhanced by more wetting and higher viscosity slag, and poor permeability regions. It can be speculated that significant gas channeling in the BF can inevitably occur prior to operational limits being reached. In the BF process, the formation of permanent gas channeling and large slag rivulets should be avoided to maintain the proper contact between phases and furnace permeability.

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Abbreviations

a t :

Surface area per packing volume, m2 m−3; for the packing with spherical particle \(A = 6\varepsilon_{{\text{s}}} /d_{{\text{s}}}\)

A :

Area, m2

F :

Surface tension force, kg m−2 s−2

g :

Gravitational acceleration, m s−2

p :

Pressure, Pa

t :

Time, s

\(u\) :

Velocity, m s−1

\(U\) :

Superficial velocity, m s−1

\(\varepsilon\) :

Volume fraction, –

\(\eta_{{\text{l}}}\) :

Liquid viscosity in centipoise, ×10−3 kg m−1 s−1

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

Curvature of the interface, m−1

\(\theta\) :

Contact angle, °

μ :

Viscosity, kg m−1 s−1

ρ :

Density, kg m−3

\(\sigma\) :

Surface tension, kg s−2

\(\tau\) :

Stress tensor, Pa

g :

Gas

i :

Phase i

j :

Phase j

l :

Liquid

s :

Solid

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Acknowledgments

The authors acknowledge the funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC) through the Industrial Transformation Research Hubs Scheme under Project Number: IH200100004. The funding support and permissions from ArcelorMittal and BlueScope Ltd to publish are gratefully acknowledged. This research was undertaken with the assistance of resources and services from the National Computational Infrastructure (NCI), which is supported by the Australian Government.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Mechanical, Materials, Mechatronic and Biomedical Engineering, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia

    X. F. Dong, A. Jayasekara, B. J. Monaghan & P. Zulli

  2. ARC Research Hub for Australian Steel Innovation, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia

    X. F. Dong, A. Jayasekara, D. Sert, R. Ferreira, P. Gardin, S. J. Chew, D. Pinson, B. J. Monaghan & P. Zulli

  3. ArcelorMittal Maizieres Research SA, 57283, Maizières-lès-Metz, France

    D. Sert, R. Ferreira & P. Gardin

  4. Coke & Ironmaking Technology, BlueScope Ltd, Wollongong, NSW, 2522, Australia

    S. J. Chew & D. Pinson

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  1. X. F. Dong
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  2. A. Jayasekara
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Correspondence to X. F. Dong.

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Dong, X.F., Jayasekara, A., Sert, D. et al. Numerical Investigation of Gas and Slag Flow in the Packed Bed. Metall Mater Trans B (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11663-024-03026-0

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