Modelling of ironmaking blast furnace: Comparison of slot and sector geometries

In this paper, a mathematical model is developed to describe the complex behaviours of gas-solid-liquid multiphase flow, their heat and mass transfers and chemical reactions in an ironmaking blast furnace. The model is used to investigate and visualise the effects of different model configurations, viz. slot vs. sector geometry, on the location/shape of cohesive zone and other key process variables such as velocity, temperature, component concentration of each phase, reduction degree and gas utilization. The comparisons show that predictions of fluid flow and thermo-chemical phenomena using the slot and sector geometries are quite different, e.g. the sector geometry predicts a higher cohesive zone, faster reduction and a lower gas utilization at furnace top. This implies that the model geometry setting is significant when numerically examining the multiphase behaviours inside a blast furnace. The model provides a cost-effective method for understanding and optimizing the blast furnace operation for better stability and productivity.