Fluid Flow, Dissolution, and Mixing Phenomena in a Multibottom Tuyere‐Stirred Gas‐Oxygen Refining Furnace

Abstract

A three‐dimensional mathematical model on fluid flow, ferrochrome dissolution, and mixing phenomena in a nitrogen‐stirred gas‐oxygen refining furnace is established. The multiphase fluid flow is simulated using the standard k–ε model, the volume of fluid (VOF) model, and the Lagrangian discrete phase model. Interfaces between fluids are tracked by the VOF model, and nitrogen bubbles are treated as discrete phase particles. The melt time of ferrochrome particles and the local mixing time are calculated using the user‐defined function. Effects of gas flow rate and bottom tuyere configuration on the fluid flow and the melting and mixing of ferrochrome are investigated. The results show that the average turbulent kinetic energy and its dissipation rate first increase and then decrease with the increasing gas flow rate, while the melting time and mixing time first decrease and then increase. The shortest melting and mixing time with the condition of seven bottom tuyeres are reached when the gas flow rate is 6.5 Nm3 min−1, which are 40.5 and 94.6 s, respectively. The mixing time decreases from 190.0 to 104.5 s when the three bottom tuyeres configuration changes to the seven bottom tuyeres configuration with the gas flow rate of 3.9 Nm3 min−1.