Effects of Interphase Forces on Fluid Flow in Gas-Stirred Steel Ladles Using the Eulerian-Lagrangian Multiphase Approach

The multiphase fluid flow in a gas-stirred system for steelmaking ladles is simulated using an Eulerian-Lagrangian approach. The effects of interphase forces and the bubble-induced turbulence on the fluid flow and the bubble behavior are analyzed by comparing with the measured data. It is found that the drag force strongly affects the velocity field and bubble volume fraction in the plume, but hardly influences the bubble plume shape. The lift force is mainly responsible for the spreading of the bubble plume, and the bubble plume becomes wider as the lift coefficient increases. The virtual mass force has a significant effect on the bubble volume fraction and should be considered reasonable. The pressure gradient force is negligible because it hardly affects the bubble plume dynamic. On increasing the bubble-induced turbulence, the bubble plume becomes wider and the liquid velocity and the bubble volume fraction in bubble plume are reduced.