Numerical Analysis on Flow Behavior of Molten Iron and Slag in Main Trough of Blast Furnace during Tapping Process

Abstract

The three-dimensional model was developed according to number 4 of the main trough of blast furnace at China Steel Co. (CSC BF4). The k-ε equations and volume of fluid (VOF) were used for describing the turbulent flow at the impinging zone of trough, indicating fluids of liquid iron, molten slag, and air in the governing equation, respectively, in this paper. The pressure field and velocity profile were then obtained by the finite volume method (FVM) and the pressure implicit with splitting of operators (PISO), respectively, followed by calculating the wall shear stress through Newton’s law of viscosity for validation. Then, the operation conditions and the main trough geometry were numerically examined for the separation efficiency of iron from slag stream. As shown in the results, the molten iron losses associated with the slag can be reduced by increasing the height difference between the slag and iron ports, reducing the tapping rate, and increasing the height of the opening under the skimmer.