MODELLING RESEARCH OF HIGH GAS FLOW RATE BLOWING OF THE LIQUID STEEL IN THE LADLE UNIT

The application of wire scrap from tire recycling can be very important, especially when the steel is melted in induction furnace. However, in the induction furnace there is no possibility for steel decarburization because of the danger of lining erosion, and as a result unavoidable furnace failure due to liquid metal leakage. Thus, this operation can be moved outside the furnace, to the ladle. Proposals of such solution are found in literature, especially with application of blowing the liquid steel by the gas-oxygen mixture through the bottom of the ladle and the further secondary treatment in ladle furnace. Such innovative way of decarburization of liquid steel in ladle with bottom blowing by gas-oxygen mixture was the main object of the presented research. The aim of this research, conducted on the physical model, was the preliminary identification of hydrodynamic conditions caused by the intensive mixing of modelling liquid by the gas. During such research, the mechanism of gas bubbles cone creation was observed. The following parameters are also very important: the level of gas bubbles dispersion in the modelling liquid, behavior of the modelling liquid surface as a result of flowing out gas bubbles, and the flow rate of occurring breakouts of modelling liquid, above the height of modelling liquid surface.