Numerical Investigation of the Enhanced Stirring Characteristics of a Multi-Lance Top-Blowing Continuous Converting Furnace for Lance Arrangement and Variable-Velocity Blowing

Abstract

Oxygen lances are key equipment for copper converters. The effect of the lance arrangement on the mixing of a gas–slag two–phase is discussed using numerical simulation and experimental verification with a water model, and the stirring characteristics enhanced by variable–velocity blowing are explored. The results showed that the single–row lance arrangement (SA) increased the average velocity in the slag phase by 17.93% and reduced the disturbance to the metal phase by 27.78% compared to the double–row lance arrangement (DA). Compared to the constant–velocity blowing system (CSB), the sine–wave blowing system (SWB) and rectangular–wave blowing system (RWB) increased the average velocity in the slag phase by 24.03% and 13.96%, respectively, and reduced the proportion of the low–velocity area by more than 46.2%. The velocity imbalance in the SA local area enhances the mixing of the gas–slag two–phase. The variable–speed blowing improves the mass transfer and mixing effect.

Keywords

• continuous copper–smelting process
• top–blowing converter
• lance arrangement
• variable–velocity blowing
• computational fluid dynamics (CFD)