Model for Fast Evaluation of Charging Programs in the Blast Furnace

A mathematical model for fast evaluation of charging programs in bell-less top blast furnaces is presented. The model describes the burden formation and descent procedures in the blast furnace, and can be used for designing charging programs. Experimental results in small scale were used to validate the model. The model was applied to a real charging program from a reference blast furnace. Through comparison between the estimated burden distribution and gas temperatures from an above-burden probe it was concluded that the model has captured the main features of the distribution of coke and pellets. The potential of using the model for the design of new charging programs was finally illustrated by analyzing the effect of small changes in the positions of the rings on the arising burden distribution.