Title: Modelling of flow behaviour in a LD vessel by an impinging gas jet

Authors: Manas Kumar Mondal; Prosenjit Das; Nilabha Karmakar; Nabanita Banik

Addresses: Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Durgapur-713209, India ' NNMT Group, CSIR-Central Mechanical Engineering Research Institute, Durgapur-713209, India; Department of Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore-560012, India ' Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Durgapur-713209, India ' Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Durgapur-713209, India

Abstract: Present study is focused towards development of computational fluid dynamic model of oxygen impingement in the melt pool in case of LD (basic oxygen converter) steelmaking process. 1/30th scaled down model of the 100 ton LD converter has been developed and flow simulation has been performed based on volume of fluid technique, using Fluent as solver engine. Simulation of the steel bath and oxygen is carried out by using water and air, respectively. Effect of process variables on the LD steelmaking practice has been studied and the findings ascertain penetration depth of the oxygen jet into the liquid (metal) pool as a strong function of bath (lance) height, gas flow rate and nozzle exit diameter. Furthermore, an equation is developed by carrying out regression analysis using results obtained from numerical simulation. The study also provides insight into the surface deformation modes, their onsets and transition regimes, which originates due to the gas impingement into the melt pool. Finally, the computed results are compared with the experimental findings for selected cases and good agreement has been found.

Keywords: LD process; water model; penetration depth; volume of fluid; VOF; Fluent.

DOI: 10.1504/PCFD.2017.084347

Progress in Computational Fluid Dynamics, An International Journal, 2017 Vol.17 No.3, pp.159 - 171

Accepted: 16 Dec 2015
Published online: 06 Jun 2017 *

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