Application of computational fluid dynamics in the development and improvement of steelmaking processes

Abstract

VOEST‐ALPINE Industrieanlagenbau (VAI) and VOEST‐ALPINE Stahl Linz (VASL), in cooperation with the University of Linz, apply CFD in the field of steelmaking with the motivation to make processes more cost efficient and environmentally compatible, as well as to achieve products of excellent quality. The understanding of existing processes can be substantially improved by numerically simulating fluid flows. This is of special importance for liquid steel flows, which can hardly be observed or investigated by measuring instruments due to the rough ambient circumstances. Simulation of the secondary fume control of electric arc furnaces while taking into account a 3‐dimensional turbulent thermal plume for a 2‐phase flow is performed using k‐ε‐turbulence models flow and an Euler‐Lagrange approach for the particle transport. The results include an optimized air flow design at the inlet of the building and at the outlet through the roof as well as minimized blowing power. The modeling of the steel flow in converters including bottom and side blowing using an Euler‐Lagrange formulation for the calculation of the two‐phase flow and a suited surface model for the iron‐slag‐gas interface. Optimized nozzle configurations and thus shorter process times are achieved.