Parametric study of a carbon black oil furnace

Abstract

Carbon black is the main reinforcing agent of natural rubber. This particulate carbon product is produced by the carbon black oil furnace process through the incomplete combustion of a hydrocarbon feedstock. The formation of carbon black is modeled by a two equation global soot model in which the formation process is related to the concentration of the hydrocarbon carbon black feedstock. The gas field is solved employing a standard finite volume technique with the governing partial differential equations, cast in curvilinear coordinates, maintaining orthogonal velocity components. The feedstock injection is calculated in a lagrangian frame of reference and coupled to the gas phase through appropriate source terms of mass, momentum and energy. The soot model constants are calibrated through a product simulation exercise. The calibrated model's behavior is investigated by means of a parametric study in which all the major geometric and fluid dynamic parameters of the carbon black oil furnace are varied. The trends obtained from the parametric study compare well with those found in the carbon black industry. New recommendations for likely improved operating conditions are made.