Numerical simulation of enhanced stirring by gas-particle blowing in side-blown furnace based on CFD-DEM method

Abstract

Oxygen-enriched side-blow stirring technology is the most critical enhanced stirring technology in molten bath smelting. With the current depletion of raw material grades, elevated impurity element content and increasingly complex sources, there is a higher demand for smelting process parameters, technical specifications and energy saving and emission reduction measures. This article uses computational fluid dynamics-discrete element method (CFD-DEM) method to develop a three-dimensional mathematical model to simulate the impact of gas–solid hybrid blowing in the side-blown furnace melt bath strengthening drive and conventional oxygen-enriched blowing effect comparison, analysis of its strengthening mechanism to provide a theoretical foundation for industrial production practices. The results show that GPB increases the average velocity of the slag layer by 23.22% compared to GB at the time of flow stabilisation in the furnace, GPB stirring enhances the momentum transfer in the melt bath by 18.52%, and the complex turbulence increases the gas content by a factor of 10.4% by extending the gas motion path. Analysis from the perspective of reaction kinetics aims to improve the internal flow of the melt bath, increasing the number of molecular and elemental collisions within the bath. This enhancement facilitates the reaction between the gas–solid phase and the slag layer, ultimately improving the melting efficiency.