Numerical study on flow characteristics of large copper smelting bottom-blown furnace under strong and weak coupling oxygen supply

Abstract

The melt stirring in a large copper smelting oxygen bottom-blown furnace is caused by the large amount of gas movement blown in by two rows of oxygen lances. At present, the two rows of oxygen lances provide oxygen of equal strength, and the stirring in the central area of the melt is insufficient, which restricts the efficient progress of the smelting reaction. This study proposes a strong-weak coupling oxygen supply method and establishes an equivalent model based on a large bottom-blown furnace (LBBF) of an enterprise to simulate the bubble characteristics and flow characteristics of the molten pool. The results show that adjusting the flow ratio between the two rows of oxygen lances can create a “strong” and a “weak” coexisting source of disturbance in an LBBF. It is worth noting that when the flow rate ratio of the two rows of oxygen lances is 1.6, the peak velocity generated by the “strong” disturbance source in the molten pool increases by 18.92%, and the disturbance range increases. This method effectively strengthens the stirring in the central area of the molten pool, improves smelting efficiency, and does not produce harmful melt splashes. It provides important guidance for optimizing production practice.

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