3-D CFD Blast Furnace Hearth Model

A three dimension (3-D) blast furnace hearth model has been developed. In this new 3-D blast furnace hearth model, effects of hot metal flow, hot metal temperature, and hot metal productivity on the hearth refractory lining temperatures has been taken into account. The inner profile of a hearth is defined by the interface between hot metal and the hearth lining, including hearth skull building on it. The hot metal thermal conductivity is a function of hot metal temperature. The thermal conductivity of hearth skull is determined based on composition and porosity of the skull. The observed structure and thermal conductivity of hearth sidewall skull in this paper. This new 3-D blast furnace hearth model is also able to predict detailed the liquid (hot metal and molten stag) flow pattern and the inner profile of a blast furnace hearth based on computational fluid dynamics, heat transfer, and blast furnace operation conditions.