Fluid Dynamics in a Copper Converter: an Investigation on Mixing Phenomena in an Experimental Model

چکیده مقاله

In this study, the mixing phenomena in a physical model and fluid dynamics in a copper converter were experimentally investigated using a physical model. The physical model is a 1:5 horizontal tank made of Plexiglas. The mixing phenomena were characterized by experimentally measuring the mixing time using a tracer dispersion technique. Moreover, the effects of the air flow rate and lance submergence on the slopping in the model were studied. The experiments were carried out for the air flow rates of 10, 15, 17 and 20 l/min with the lance submergences of 8.5, 9.5, 10.5 and 11.5 cm. The results showed that the mixing time decreased with increasing both air flow rate and lance submergence. In addition, the slopping reduced as the lance submergence increased while the air flow rate decreased. Based on the results of the mixing time and the slopping, an optimum condition for air injection was obtained which not only ensured the sufficient mixing, but also resulted in less slopping in the model. Furthermore, the mixing times were evaluated in terms of the specific mixing power. A correlation was established for estimating the mixing time in the model with respect to the specific mixing power.