Thermomechanical Analysis of Purging Plugs by Applying Fluid–Solid Conjugate Heat Transfer Modeling

Abstract

Purging plugs are important functional units in advanced steel‐making processes, which experience extreme heat exchange and temperature changes during the purging procedure. Fluid–solid conjugate heat transfer modeling is conducted to determine the inconstant and instantaneous heat transfer coefficients at slit walls. Further thermomechanical simulations are performed on the purging plug by assuming elastic material behavior. Dimensionless temperature change and stress analysis indicate that transverse tensile failure is highly likely at the area close to 0.323 m from the base of the frustum purging plug. A comparison with practical observations proves that thermomechanical modeling coupled with the fluid–solid conjugate heat transfer method is a useful approach for investigating purging plugs under practical service conditions, as well as other cases involving fluid–solid interactions.