Fluid Flow and Heat Transfer Modeling of AC Arc in Ferrosilicon Submerged Arc Furnace

 arc has been developed and used to predict heat transfer from the arc to the molten bath in ferrosilicon AC submerged-arc furnace. In this model the time-dependent conservation equations for mass, momentum and energy in the specified domain of plasma zone have been solved numerically coupled with the Maxwell and Laplace equations for magnetic filed and electric potential respectively. A control volume based finite difference method was used to solve the governing equations in cylindrical coordinates. The reliability of the developed model was tested by comparison with the data available in the literature. The present model showed a better consistency with the data given in the literature because of solving the Maxwell and Laplace equations simultaneously for calculation of current density. Parametric studies were carried out to evaluate the effect of electrical current and arc length on flow field and temperature distribution within the arc. According to computed results, a lower power input lead to the higher arc efficiency.     

Numerical study of dc arc plasma and molten bath in dc electric arc furnace

Abstract

A numerical study of the arc plasma and molten bath in a dc electric arc furnace (EAF) is useful for understanding and improving the production process of the dc EAF. In the present paper, a mathematical model based on conservation equations of mass, momentum and energy along with Maxwell's equations is developed to describe the flow field and heat transfer in the arc and molten bath regions of a dc EAF simultaneously. The governing equations are solved using the PHOENICS software package. The calculated results show good agreement with those of previous studies, giving a useful insight into the factors of arc heat transfer and bath circulation.     

A Multiscale 3D Model of the Vacuum Arc Remelting Process

A three-dimensional, transient, multiscale model of the VAR process is presented, allowing novel simulations of the influence of fluctuations in arc behavior on the flow and heat transfer in the molten pool and the effect this has on the microstructure and defects. The transient behavior of the arc was characterized using the external magnetic field and surface current measurements, which were then used as transient boundary conditions in the model. The interactions of the magnetic field, turbulent metal flow, and heat transfer were modeled using CFD techniques and this “macro” model was linked to a microscale solidification model. This allowed the transient fluctuations in the dendritic microstructure to be predicted, allowing the first coupled three-dimensional correlations between macroscopic operational parameters and microstructural defects to be performed. It was found that convection driven by the motion of the arc caused local remelting of the mushy zone, resulting in variations in permeability and solute density. This causes variations in the local Rayleigh number, leading to conditions under which freckle solidification defects will initiate. A three-dimensional transient tracking of particle fall-in was also simulated, enabling predictions of “white spot” defects via quantification of the trajectory and dissolution of inclusions entering the melt.     

Behavior of Conducting Liquid within an Arc Furnace in a Vertical Magnetic Field

In a vertical magnetic field, bulk electromagnetic forces arise in conducting melt within the bath of a dc arc furnace. As a result, the melt is set in motion. The flow of slag and metal in the furnace bath may lead to effective mixing but may also have negative consequences, such as increased lining wear in the region of the hearth electrode. There has been little research on conductive mixing in the bath of a dc arc furnace. Theoretical concerns include the character of the flow in the bath under the action of magnetic fields of specific magnitude; practical considerations include the lack of simple and reliable sources of magnetic fields. In the present work, the utility of a transparent physical model in studying the flow of conducting liquid in an external vertical magnetic field is investigated. The applicability of the modeling results to processes in the 5-t bath of an industrial dc arc furnace is analyzed. It proves possible in principle to study the flow of conducting melt in external vertical magnetic fields on models based on transparent nonmetallic conducting liquids. The use of an aqueous solution of table salt permits assessment of the liquid velocity at its free surface and close to the hearth electrode by video recording. By physical modeling of the flow of conducting fluid in the bath under the action of an external vertical magnetic field, with different switching sequences of the hearth electrode and different currents in the bath, it is possible to establish the character of the liquid flow when the hearth electrode is at the center of the bath or somewhat displaced. The mean rate of liquid rotation in the horizontal plane is increased when the hearth electrode is at some distance from the bath axis. The strength of the vertical magnetic field producing conductive motion in the metal bath of a 5-t dc arc furnace is estimated: around 5 kA/m.     

Simulation and application of pulsating bottom-blowing in EAF steelmaking

Pulsating bottom-blowing was proposed to strengthen the electric arc furnace (EAF) molten bath stirring. The fluid flow characteristics and stirring effects of different pulsating bottom-blowing modes on EAF molten bath were studied through water model experiments and numerical simulations. The mixing time was measured by water model experiments and the flow field characteristics of EAF molten bath were simulated by numerical simulations. Compared with conventional bottom-blowing, pulsating bottom-blowing can accelerate the fluid flow velocity and improve the stirring of molten bath. With pulsating bottom-blowing, the molten bath fluid flow field is more disorder, the fluid flow velocity increases and the dead zone volume decreases. Compared with EAF steelmaking with conventional bottom-blowing conditions, pulsating bottom-blowing technology can improve the metallurgical effects and the molten steel quality in EAF steelmaking with lower FeO content of final slag, lower phosphorus content and carbon-oxygen equilibrium of final molten steel, and lower temperature deviation.     

Process Stability of Ultrasonic-Wave-Assisted Gas Metal Arc Welding

As a newly developed arc welding method, ultrasonic-wave-assisted arc welding successfully introduced power ultrasound into the arc and weld pool, during which the ultrasonic acts on the top of the arc in the coaxial alignment direction. The advanced process for molten metals can be realized by using an additional ultrasonic field. Compared with the conventional gas metal arc welding (GMAW), the welding arc is compressed, the droplet size is decreased, and the droplet transfer frequency is increased significantly in ultrasonic-wave-assisted GMAW (U-GMAW). However, the stability of the metal transfer has deep influence on the welding quality equally, and the ultrasonic wave effect on the stability of the metal transfer is a phenomenon that is not completely understood. In this article, the stabilities of the short-circuiting transfer process and globular transfer process are studied systematically, and the effect of ultrasonic wave on the metal transfer is analyzed further. The transfer frequency and process stability of the U-GMAW process are much higher than those of the conventional GMAW. Analytical results show that the additional ultrasonic wave is helpful for improving welding stability.     

偏心M-EMS作用下连铸圆坯流动-传热模拟

 为探究偏心结晶器电磁搅拌(M-EMS)对圆坯钢液流动和传热的作用,减轻偏心M-EMS对圆坯的不利影响,通过建立三维耦合模型研究了偏心M-EMS作用下Φ380 mm连铸圆坯钢液流动和传热特点及M-EMS参数的影响。结果表明,在偏心M-EMS(300 A/2 Hz)作用下,由水口进入结晶器钢液流向外弧侧,碰壁后会形成较大回流;外弧侧钢液温度比内弧侧温度高;随着距弯月面距离增加,外弧侧钢液温度先增加后降低,温度最大处在M-EMS中心,为1 779 K;内弧侧钢液温度则一直降低。随着电流强度由100增加到500 A,圆坯下方回流区由1个变为2个;内、外弧侧钢液温差先减小后增加,在300 A时最小,为8.4 K。随着电流频率由1增加5 Hz,外弧侧回流区变小直至消失。当电流频率小于3 Hz时,内、外弧侧钢液温差小于10 K;而当频率大于3 Hz时,温差则大于16 K。Φ380 mm圆坯推荐M-EMS参数为300 A/2 Hz。     

Heat transfer and fluid flow phenomena in electroslag refining

A mathematical formulation has been developed to represent the electromagnetic force field, fluid flow and heat transfer in ESR units. In the formulation, allowance has been made for both electromagnetically driven flows and natural convection; furthermore, in considering heat transfer the effect of the moving droplets has been taken into account. The computed results have shown that the electromagnetic force field appears to be the more important driving force for fluid motion, although natural convection does affect the circulation pattern. The movement of the liquid droplets through the slag plays an important role in transporting thermal energy from the slag to the molten metal pool, although the droplets are unlikely to contribute appreciably to slag-metal mass transfer The for-formulation presented here enables the prediction of thermal and fluid flow phenomena in ESR units and may be used to calculate the electrode melting rates from first principles. While a detailed comparison has not yet been made between the predictions based on the model and actual plant scale measurements, it is thought that the theoretical predictions are consistent with the plant-scale data that are available.     

Numerical Analysis of the Influences of Operational Parameters on the Braking Effect of EMBr in a CSP Funnel-Type Mold

A three-dimensional mathematical model of the magnetic field, flow field, and temperature field in a 1500 mm × 90 mm CSP funnel-type mold is used to numerically study the effect of an electromagnetic brake (EMBr) on flow and heat transfer behavior of molten steel. A number of effects of EMBr on the flow pattern and temperature distribution of molten steel are simulated. The jet flow discharge from the submerged entry nozzle (SEN) is significantly suppressed. In addition, heat transfer in the upper part of the mold increases under the influence of EMBr, which can improve the mobility of liquid steel at the meniscus and achieve low superheat casting. The relations between casting speed and magnetic flux density, and between SEN submergence depth and the installation position of the EMBr device, are taken into account to study the effects of braking on molten steel. The results show that the braking effect is weakened with an increase in either the casting speed or the SEN submergence depth. In order to insure the efficient and stable operation of a continuous casting production, the magnetic flux density should be increased by approximately 0.1 T when the casting speed increases by 1 m/min. In addition, an optimal braking effect for molten steel can be obtained when the distance between the bottom of the nozzle and the upper surface of the EMBr device is 100 mm.     

USS122G钢锭真空电弧重熔工艺的数值模拟

 超高强度不锈钢以其超高强度和良好的韧性以及优异的耐腐蚀性能而广泛地应用在航空、航天等领域。真空自耗重熔(VAR)作为生产超高强度不锈钢铸锭的主要生产技术,具有去除钢中有害杂质、改善钢中元素偏析的功能。为了研究新型Cr-Co-Ni-Mo合金体系超高强度不锈钢USS122G的真空电弧重熔过程,通过工艺仿真优化软件(Melf-Flow-VAR),对VAR过程的宏观传热、传质和流动现象进行模拟,建立USS122G合金VAR过程的二维轴对称数学模型,预测了不同冷却速度下的温度场和熔池形貌,并着重分析了特定熔速下的温度场、流场的演变,有无氦气冷却的元素宏观偏析情况,最后以模拟工艺制备了USS122G合金660 mm铸锭进行验证。结果表明,熔速增加,熔池深度加深,熔池形貌由低熔速扁平状圆弧状高熔速深“U”变化,熔炼速率为4.5 kg/min的熔池形貌具有较窄的糊状区,在此熔速下,熔池形貌呈现圆弧状,且真空自耗炉的输入功率较低,流场模拟结果显示流体的流动方向沿边部向下,中部向上,在铸锭右侧呈现顺时针运动规律;模拟熔池在达到稳态后深度为132 mm,此时模拟熔池深度与实测结果基本一致;在熔炼过程中Cr和C元素均发生正向偏析,采用氦气冷却的铸锭中元素偏析程度较小,在距钢锭1/2R处到边部Cr和C元素分布规律与模拟结果吻合较好。本项研究成果为钢的工业化稳定生产提供了可靠的数据支撑。     

Modeling of fluid flow and heat transfer in the plasma region of the dc electric arc furnace

A mathematical model describing the transport processes in the plasma arc in dc electric arc furnaces has been developed. The equations of conservation of mass, momentum, and energy are solved numerically in conjunction with Maxwell's equations of the electromagnetic field to calculate the velocity and temperature distributions in the plasma region. The heat transfer from the arc to a rigid anode surface is calculated. The model is applied to obtain quantitative results on the relative importance of the various modes of heat transfer from the electric arc to the anode surface. Computational results were obtained for varying arc current magnitudes and anode-cathode distances. The model predicts higher arc jet velocity and a broader arc core at higher arc current. The shorter arc length is more efficient for transferring heat to the anode.     

旋流水口对圆管坯连铸结晶器内钢水流场的影响

借助于流体力学分析软件Fluent,在圆管坯连铸浸入式水口上施加电磁力,对结晶器内钢水产生电磁搅拌作用使模型水口出流成螺旋状态的钢水流场进行了数值模拟。结果表明:旋流式水口有利于改善结晶器内的流场,有效降低冲击深度,增大液流向弯月面区域的回流和热流上传,提高了液面的活跃程度,增强钢水表面融渣的效果。     

Three-phase Fluid Numerical Simulation and Water Modeling Experiment of Supersonic Oxygen Jet Impingement on Molten Bath in EAF

By means of the computational fluid dynamics software Fluent 6.3, a mathematical model of three-dimensional three-phase fluid flow field in the molten bath of electric arc furnace （EAF） with side accessorial oxygen lances was developed to study the transient phenomena of oxygen jet impingement on the molten steel and the molten slag. The water modeling experiment was carried out to verify the simulation results. The impingement of the supersonic oxygen jet caused impact dent on the molten steel surface accordingly. The area of impact dent changed almost in linear relationship to flow rate of oxygen jet, which can be expressed by a deduced mathematical equation. And the relationship between the impact force of oxygen iet and the correspondingly formed apparent static pressure on molten bath was obtained, which was in linear relationship and a direct proportion, and can also be expressed by a deduced mathematical equation.     

Heat transfer and fluid flow phenomena in electroslag refining

A mathematical formulation has been developed to represent the electromagnetic force field, fluid flow and heat transfer in ESR units. In the formulation, allowance has been made for both electromagnetically driven flows and natural convection; furthermore, in considering heat transfer, the effect of the moving droplets has been taken into account. The computed results have shown that the electromagnetic force field appears to be the more important driving force for fluid motion, although natural convection does affect the circulation pattern. The movement of the liquid droplets through the slag plays an import-ant role in transporting thermal energy from the slag to the molten metal pool, although the droplets are unlikely to contribute appreciably to slag-metal mass transfer. The for-formulation presented here enables the prediction of thermal and fluid flow phenomena in ESR units and may be used to calculate the electrode melting rates from first principles. While a detailed comparison has not yet been made between the predictions based on the model and actual plant scale measurements, it is thought that the theoretical predictions are consistent with the plant-scale data that are available. Presently on leave from Institute of Chemical Engineering and Technology, Punjab University, Lahore-1, Pakistan.     

Computational Fluid Dynamic Modeling of Zinc Slag Fuming Process in Top-Submerged Lance Smelting Furnace

Slag fuming is a reductive treatment process for molten zinciferous slags for extracting zinc in the form of metal vapor by injecting or adding a reductant source such as pulverized coal or lump coal and natural gas. A computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model was developed to study the zinc slag fuming process from imperial smelting furnace (ISF) slag in a top-submerged lance furnace and to investigate the details of fluid flow, reaction kinetics, and heat transfer in the furnace. The model integrates combustion phenomena and chemical reactions with the heat, mass, and momentum interfacial interaction between the phases present in the system. A commercial CFD package AVL Fire 2009.2 (AVL, Graz, Austria) coupled with a number of user-defined subroutines in FORTRAN programming language were used to develop the model. The model is based on three-dimensional (3-D) Eulerian multiphase flow approach, and it predicts the velocity and temperature field of the molten slag bath, generated turbulence, and vortex and plume shape at the lance tip. The model also predicts the mass fractions of slag and gaseous components inside the furnace. The model predicted that the percent of ZnO in the slag bath decreases linearly with time and is consistent broadly with the experimental data. The zinc fuming rate from the slag bath predicted by the model was validated through macrostep validation process against the experimental study of Waladan et al. The model results predicted that the rate of ZnO reduction is controlled by the mass transfer of ZnO from the bulk slag to slag–gas interface and rate of gas-carbon reaction for the specified simulation time studied. Although the model is based on zinc slag fuming, the basic approach could be expanded or applied for the CFD analysis of analogous systems.     

大方坯连铸结晶器电磁搅拌的数值模拟

对大方坯连铸结晶器电磁搅拌过程的流场和温度场进行了数值模拟,并讨论了搅拌强度对流场和温度场的影响。结果表明：在结晶器电磁搅拌下,搅拌器区域的钢液变为水平旋转,使从水口向下吐出的钢水与向上回流的钢水流股相冲突,流股侵入深度变浅,从而使轴向温度迅速降低,径向温度升高,提高了热区位置,有利于传热;搅拌强度越大,钢水的二次流现象越明显,热区位置越高。     

Heat transfer in an iron bath of a two-stage smelting reduction process

Mechanisms of the heat transfer by means of iron and slag drops in smelting reduction are discussed. The quantity of slag on the molten iron exists in two forms depending on the different processes: either a thin slag layer or a voluminous slag layer. In the case of a small amount of slag, iron and slag drops are spattered in the free space above the bath furnace. By smelting reduction with a high post-combustion degree, the spattered iron drops are quickly oxidized in the free space. The spattered slag drops transfer heat from the free space to the molten iron. A definition for the heat transfer efficiency in the iron bath of a two-stage smelting reduction process is presented. Experiments on heat transfer were made in an experimental EOF-furnace with 100 kg iron. The post-combustion degree and the heat transfer efficiency were on a high level, because inleaked air was used.     

Electromagnetically and thermally driven flow phenomena in electroslag welding

Through the statement of Maxwell's equations, the turbulent Navier-Stokes equations, and the convective heat balance equation, a mathematical model has been proposed for the Electroslag Welding Process. In the formulation, allowance has been made for both electromagnetic and buoyancy forces for driving the slag and the metal flow. The principal finding of the work is that convection in the molten slag region has a marked effect on the heat transfer process. For a rectangular geometry, using plate electrodes, the flow field is driven by buoyancy forces, the circulating flow is less intense, and the thermal efficiency of the process is improved. In contrast, for wire electrodes (approximated by a cylindrical geometry) the flow is driven by electromagnetic forces and a substantial part of the thermal energy is dissipated to the plates. A. H. DILAWARI formerly Visiting Engineer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.     

圆坯凝固末端电磁搅拌作用下的流动与传热行为

以特殊钢圆坯连铸为研究对象, 建立了研究凝固末端电磁搅拌作用效果的三维耦合数值模型.利用分段计算模型获得末端电磁搅拌区域钢液流动与凝固的实际状态, 并采用达西源项法处理凝固末端钢液在糊状区的流动, 研究了不同电磁搅拌工艺参数下的电磁场分布及钢液的流动与传热特征.通过测量搅拌器中心线磁感应强度和铸坯表面温度验证了模型的准确性.研究结果表明: 电流强度每增加100 A, 搅拌器中心磁感应强度增加19.05 mT, 电磁力随着电流强度的增加显著增大.在20~40 Hz范围, 随着电流频率的提高, 中心磁感应强度略微下降, 但电磁力仍有所增加.在搅拌器区域, 液相穴内的钢液在切向电磁力的作用下旋转流动, 其切向速度随着电流强度和频率的增加而变大.末端电磁搅拌可促进钢液在圆坯径向的换热, 随着电流强度和频率的提高, 铸坯中心轴线上的钢液温度降低, 同时末端搅拌位置处的中心固相分率增加.      

粉芯丝材电弧喷涂的不稳定性分析

双丝电弧喷涂时,丝材顶端根据被加热状态可分为三个不同区域。其中,丝材顶端最外层被电弧直接加热（Ⅰ区）,这个区域的丝材完全熔化。由于传热效应使得相邻区域（丝材根部方向）的温度升高,从而产生软化区（Ⅱ区）。而与软化区相邻处（丝材根部方向）,传递的热量又软化了丝材并产生持续的变形区（Ⅲ区）,变形是由雾化气体所施加的动力产生的。采用高速摄像系统观察不同运行条件下丝材熔化、金属破碎并粒子形成的过程：Ⅰ区液态金属直接雾化成为很小的液滴,其尺寸是由熔化金属的特性和所施加的雾化气体压力所决定的,软化区是在阴阳极部位的金属薄片的源头。粉芯丝材的金属薄片要比实心丝材的尺寸小。受挤压作用形成的金属薄片形成二次引弧效应,因此增加了电弧喷涂过程的稳定性。本文分析了喷涂参数的影响、填充粉芯对熔化行为的影响、粒子形成以及喷涂过程的不稳定性,并将粉芯丝材和实心丝材的喷涂进行了对比。研究结果有利于提高双丝电弧喷涂模型的精度,并且可以通过优化喷管几何形状来增强金属液滴的雾化效果。