Numerical Simulation of the Effect of Feeding Mode on the Reduction of Ore Powder in Hydrogen‐Based Flash Ironmaking Process

Abstract

The efficiency and heat utilization of modern large‐scale blast furnace in China are close to limits. The potential for energy saving and consumption reduction by continuing to improve blast furnace operation is limited, so there is a need to develop nonblast furnace ironmaking technologies to solve the problems of high energy consumption and pollution. The emerging flash ironmaking technology, which is highly efficient and has low pollutant emissions, has become an option. This article uses CFD software to simulate the 3D steady‐state hydrogen‐based flash ironmaking process at a pilot scale. It is a complex system involving gas‐particle two‐phase flow, heat transfer, and chemical reactions. The article mainly studies the effects of the feeding mode and hydrogen concentration in the reducing gas on the reduction of ore particles. The results show that the residence time of the particles in the furnace is very sensitive to the feeding method, and the maximum residence time of the particles reaches about 2.8 s under the optimal feeding method. In addition, increasing the hydrogen concentration in the reducing gas decreases the particles’ residence time. However, the minimum residence time is more than 2.2 s, and the ore powder can still obtain a high reduction degree.