Numerical investigation of sinusoidal pulsating gas intake to intensify the gas-slag momentum transfer in the top-blown smelting furnace

Abstract

The variation characteristics of bubble morphology and the thermal-physical properties of bubble boundary in the top-blown smelting furnace were explored by means of the computational fluid dynamics method. The essential aspects of the fluid phase (e.g., splashing volume, dead zone of copper slag, and gas penetration depth) were explored together with the effect of sinusoidal pulsating gas intake on the momentum-transfer performance between phases. The results illustrated that two relatively larger vortices and two smaller vortices appear in the bubble waist and below the lance, respectively. The expansion of larger ones as well as the shrinking of smaller ones combine to cause the contraction of the bubble waist. Compared to the results of the case with a fixed gas injection velocity (V _g = 58 m/s), the splashing volume and dead zone volume of the slag under the V _g = 58 + 10sin(2πt) condition are reduced by 24.9% and 23.5%, respectively, where t represents the instant time. Gas penetration depth and slag motion velocity of the latter are 1.03 and 1.31 times higher than those of the former, respectively.

Keywords

top-blown smelting furnace / pulsed flow / volume of fluid / penetration depth / splashing volume

References

[1] Chen ZB, Yan HJ, Zhou P, et al. Parametric study of gas-liquid two-phase flow field in horizontal stirred tank. Trans. Nonferrous Met. Soc. China, 2021, 31(6): 1806.

[2] Wang JH, Ni PY, Chen C, Ersson M, Li Y. Effect of gas blowing nozzle angle on multiphase flow and mass transfer during RH refining process. Int. J. Miner. Metall. Mater., 2023, 30(5): 844.

[3] Zhao HL, Wang JQ, Liu FQ, Sohn HY. Flow zone distribution and mixing time in a Peirce—Smith copper converter. Int. J. Miner. Metall. Mater., 2022, 29(1): 70.

[4] Obiso D, Reuter M, Richter A. CFD Investigations of Bath Dynamics in a Pilot-Scale TSL Furnace. Metall. Mater. Trans. B, 2021, 52(1): 3064.

[5] Chen YC, Sheng L, Deng J, Luo GS. Geometric effect on gas-liquid bubbly flow in capillary-embedded T-junction microchannels. Ind. Eng. Chem. Res., 2021, 60(12): 4735.

[6] Wan ZH, Yang SL, Kong DS, Li DB, Hu JH, Wang H. Numerical modelling of stirring characteristics of gas-slag-copper matte multiphase flow in bath with top submerged lance. Trans. Nonferrous Met. Soc. China, 2023, 33(7): 2231.

[7] Huda N, Naser J, Brooks G, Reuter MA, Matusewicz RW. CFD modeling of swirl and nonswirl gas injections into liquid baths using top submerged lances. Metall. Mater. Trans. B, 2010, 41(1): 35.

[8] H.L. Zhao, T.T. Lu, P. Yin, L.Z. Mu, and F.Q. Liu, An experimental and simulated study on gas-liquid flow and mixing behavior in an ISASMELT furnace, Metah, 9(2019), No. 5, art. No. 565.

[9] Obiso D, Kriebitzsch S, Reuter M, Meyer B. The importance of viscous and interfacial forces in the hydrodynamics of the top-submerged-lance furnace. Metall. Mater. Trans. B, 2019, 50(5): 2403.

[10] Wang X, Zheng SG, Zhu MY. Numerical simulation on gas-liquid multiphase flow in hot metal ladle with top submerged lance. Ironmaking Steelmaking, 2020, 47(8): 915.

[11] Wang YN, Vanierschot M, Cao LL, Cheng ZF, Blanpain B, Guo MX. Hydrodynamics study of bubbly flow in a top-submerged lance vessel. Chem. Eng. Sci., 2018, 192, 1091.

[12] H.L. Zhao, L.F. Zhang, P. Yin, and S. Wang, Bubble motion and gas-liquid mixing in metallurgical reactor with a top submerged lance, Int. J. Chem. React. Eng., 15(2017), No. 3, art. No. 20160139.

[13] C. Song, Y.H. Pan, P. Ma, M. Zhao, and T.C. Liu, Numerical simulation on the influence of submerged combustion on splashing and heat transfer in TSL furnace, Metals, 12(2022), No. 2, art. No. 328.

[14] Zhang X, Wu J, Zhang H, Ding W, Zhang J. Visualization of liquid reaction in submerged top-blow agitation process. Fuel Cells, 2021, 21(1): 18.

[15] A. Gosset, P. Rambaud, P. Planquart, J.M. Buchlin, and E. Robert, Experimental characterization of bubbling in submerged lance injection, [in] Proceedings of the 6th International Symposium on Multiphase Flow, Heat Mass Transfer and Energy Conversion, Xi’an, 2010, p. 205.

[16] Liow JL. Quasi-equilibrium bubble formation during top-submerged gas injection. Chem. Eng. Sci., 2000, 55(20): 4515.

[17] Obiso D, Akashi M, Kriebitzsch S, et al. CFD modeling and experimental validation of top-submerged-lance gas injection in liquid metal. Metall. Mater. Trans. B, 2020, 51(4): 1509.

[18] Akashi M, Keplinger O, Shevchenko N, Anders S, Reuter MA, Eckert S. X-ray radioscopic visualization of bubbly flows injected through a top submerged lance into a liquid metal. Metall. Mater. Trans. B, 2020, 51(1): 124.

[19] Obiso D, Reuter M, Richter A. CFD investigation of rotational sloshing waves in a top-submerged-lance metal bath. Metall. Mater. Trans. B, 2021, 52(4): 2386.

[20] Wu YD, Liu ZQ, Li BK, Gan Y. Numerical simulation of multi-size bubbly flow in a continuous casting mold using population balance model. Powder Technol., 2022, 396, 224.

[21] Morsi YS, Yang W, El-Katatny I. Experimental characterisation of AusIron top submerged injection system. Ironmaking Steelmaking, 2008, 35(1): 69.

[22] Zhao HL, Yin P, Zhang LF, Wang S. Water model experiments of multiphase mixing in the top-blown smelting process of copper concentrate. Int. J. Miner. Metall. Mater., 2016, 23(12): 1369.

[23] Cheng ZF, Khaliq A, Blanpain B, Guo MX. Zn Fuming kinetics in a bubble-stirred molten slag bath. Metall. Mater. Trans. B, 2022, 53(2): 1308.

[24] X. Huang, L.H. Zhang, R.H. Zhang, X.Z. Chen, Y.L. Zhao, and S. Yuan, Numerical simulation of gas-liquid two-phase flow in the micro-fracture networks in fractured reservoirs, J. Nat. Gas Sci. Eng., 94(2021), art. No. 104101.

[25] Bai X, Li QL, Cheng P, Sheng LY, Kang ZT. Investigation of self-pulsation characteristics for a liquid-centered swirl coaxial injector with recess. Acta Astronaut., 2018, 151, 511.

[26] Brackbill JU, Kothe DB, Zemach C. A continuum method for modeling surface tension. J. Comput. Phys., 1992, 100(2): 335.

[27] Lafmejani SS, Olesen AC, Kær SK. VOF modelling of gas-liquid flow in PEM water electrolysis cell micro-channels. Int. J. Hydrogen Energy., 2017, 42(26): 16333.

[28] Menter FR. Two-equation eddy-viscosity turbulence models for engineering applications. AIAA J., 1994, 32(8): 1598.

[29] Jasak H, Weller HG. Interface Tracking Capabilities of the Inter-Gamma Differencing Scheme [Internal Report], 1995, London, Mechanical Engineering Department, Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine.

[30] Y.N. Wang, L.L. Cao, M. Vanierschot, Z.F. Cheng, B. Blanpain, and M.X. Guo, Modelling of gas injection into a viscous liquid through a top-submerged lance, Chem. Eng. Sci., 212(2020), art. No. 115359.

[31] Zhao HL, Lu TT, Liu FQ, Yin P, Wang S. Computational fluid dynamics study on a top-blown smelting process with lance failure in an isa furnace. JOM, 2019, 71(5): 1643.

[32] Zhao HL, Xiao YD, Liu FQ, Sohn HY. Computational fluid dynamics simulation of gas-matte-slag three-phase flow in an ISASMELT furnace. Metall. Mater. Trans. B, 2021, 52(6): 3767.

[33] C. Xu, S.L. Xu, Z.Y. Wang, and D.W. Feng, Experimental investigation of flow and heat transfer characteristics of pulsating flows driven by wave signals in a microchannel heat sink, Int. Commun. Heat Mass Transfer, 125(2021), art. No. 105343.

[34] Morsi YS, Yang W, Clayton BR, Gray NB. Experimental investigation of swirl and non-swirl gas injections into liquid baths using submerged vertical lances. Can. Metall. Q., 2000, 39(1): 87.

[35] Huda N, Naser J, Brooks GA, Reuter MA, Matusewicz RW. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) investigation of submerged combustion behavior in a tuyere blown slag-fuming furnace. Metall. Mater. Trans. B, 2012, 43(5): 1054.

[36] Duan WJ, Gao YK, Yu QB, Wu TW, Wang ZM. Numerical simulation of coal gasification in molten slag: Gas-liquid interaction characteristic. Energy, 2019, 183, 1233.

[37] P. Yaqoubnejad, H.A. Rad, and M. Taghavijeloudar, Development a novel hexagonal airlift flat plate photobioreactor for the improvement of microalgae growth that simultaneously enhance CO₂ bio-fixation and wastewater treatment, J. Environ. Manage., 298(2021), art. No. 113482.

[38] M. Girard, D. Vidal, F. Bertrand, J.R. Tavares, and M.C. Heuzey, Evidence-based guidelines for the ultrasonic dispersion of cellulose nanocrystals, Ultrason. Sonochem., 71(2021), art. No. 105378.

[39] B. Aslanbay Guler, I. Deniz, Z. Demirel, S.S. Oncel, and E. Imamoglu, Computational fluid dynamics modelling of stirred tank photobioreactor for Haematococcus pluvialis production: Hydrodynamics and mixing conditions, Algal Res., 47(2020), art. No. 101854.