A Study of Fundamentals of a New Metallurgical Reactor

Abstract

<p>A new metallurgical reactor called the LB furnace is being developed at McMaster University for potential applications in ironmaking, cokemaking and waste oxide recycling.</p> <p>A bench-scale LB furnace has been built in our laboratory and a series of experiments on ironmaking was carried out with the use of this furnace. The mass balance and thermal efficiency were analyzed for the overall process.</p> <p>A two-dimensional mathematical model for the turbulent, reacting flows in a confined system has been developed to determine the rates of fluid flow, combustion and heat transfer in the reduction/combustion chamber of this furnace. Measurements of velocity and tracer concentration distributions in two room temperature physical models of the chamber were conducted and were used to assess, the validity of the mathematical model.</p> <p>The following-conclusions can be drawn: (1) The LB furnace has the potential to efficiently produce sponge iron or liquid hot metal of desired composition.</p> <p>(2) The mathematical modelling has been shown to be effective in the study of transport phenomena of the turbulent, reacting flows in this metallurgical reactor and has contributed to a better design of the process.</p>