Using FEM to determine temperature distribution in a blast furnace crucible

Temperature distribution in the crucible of a blast furnace is an important operation variable that is a function of the materials used in its construction, temperatures reached in the pig iron-refractory interface, and cooling-system performance. Defining the crucible zones where high shear and tensile stresses are reached is an important step in developing a tribological model to understand and predict high wear zones and crucible life. In this work, temperature distribution was simulated using the finite-element method for a blast furnace built following the ceramic solution (oxide and nitride ceramics in contact with the pig iron and carbon and microporous graphite blocks in contact with the refrigeration system). For more information, contact Luis Felipe Verdeja, Cátedra de Siderurgia, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros de Minas de Oviedo, Universidad de Oviedo, Independencia 13, Oviedo 33004, Spain; telephone 34 985 10 43 03: fax 34 985 10 42 42; e-mail: lfv@atenea.etsimo.uniovi.es.