Modelling of mixing, mass transfer and phase distribution in a Peirce-Smith converter model

Abstract

Abstract: This study presents a numerical and physical modelling study of flow pattern, mixing, solid-liquid mass transfer and slag matte phase distribution in an industrial Peirce-Smith converter (PSC) slice model. The two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) numerical simulations of the three phase system were carried out using volume of fluid (VOF) and realisable k- (RKE) turbulence model to account for the multiphase and turbulence nature of the flow respectively. These models were implemented using the commercial computational fluid dynamics (CFD) numerical code FLUENT. In physical simulations, water, kerosene, air and sintered benzoic acid compacts were used to simulate matte, slag, injected gas and solid additions into PSC. Both numerical and physical simulations were able to predict, in agreement, the mixing and dispersion characteristics of the system in relation to different blowing conditions employed in this study. Measurement of dimensionless turbulence characteristic values conclusively indicated that fluid flow in PSC is stratified.