Multiphase flow modelling of lancing of furnace tap-holes : validation of multiphase flow simulated in OpenFOAM®

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Authors

Erwee, Markus Wouter
Reynolds, Q.G.
Zietsman, Johannes Hendrik
Bezuidenhout, Pieter J.A.

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

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Publisher

Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy

Abstract

Pyrometallurgical furnaces are tapped through tap-holes that are opened with drills and oxygen lances. The lance is often used on its own or as the last step of opening the tap-hole. Interaction of oxygen with molten material inside the tap-hole can occur, and is a phenomenon that is not well understood. As part of a study that focuses on the effect of lancing on flow inside and around the furnace tap-hole, a cold-model validation was done. The validation study focuses on validating the MULTIPHASEINTERFOAM multiphase flow solver in OpenFOAM® for the problem involved. The sensitivity of the model to different materials properties (viscosity and density in particular) is presented with both cold models and the results from flow simulations in OpenFOAM®.

Description

This paper was first presented at the Furnace Tapping 2018 Conference, 15–16 October 2018, Nombolo Mdhluli Conference Centre, Kruger National Park, South Africa.

Keywords

Tapping, Lancing, OpenFOAM, Pyrometallurgy, Multiphase flow

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Citation

Erwee, M.W., Reynolds, J.H., Bezuidenhout, P.J.A. et al. 2019, 'Multiphase flow modelling of lancing of furnace tap-holes: validation of multiphase flow simulated in OpenFOAM®', Journal of the Southern African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, vol. 119, no. 6, pp. 551-556.