Numerical Simulation of Three-Phase Flow of Gas-Stirring Micro-phenomenon During Ladle Furnace Process

Abstract

Gas-stirring has been an important method for secondary refining process of steel. The interaction of gas bubbles with the interface of liquid steel and molten slag has been simulated in this study. The model is based on the phase-field method for three-phase flow of steel-slag -gas. The micro-flow with a sharp interface tracking among the phases of an argon bubble floating in steel and motion across the steel-slag interface is obtained and discussed. By the model, it is found that there is a critical size for bubbles to pass the interface. Bubbles with a smaller size than the critical value will not pass the interface and settle under the slag phase when they contact with the interface for the first time. This result different from the past knows that the bubble will 100% pass the interface. A water model was set to invalidate the numerical model and the experiment result shows agreement with the numerical model.