Applications of CFD modelling in smelting industries: some recent developments

Recent advancement in the high performance computing facilities has enabled Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD) modelling technique as a powerful tool for the researchers working in the metallurgical field. CFD can predict flows ranging from simple single phase flows to complex multiphase flows in high temperature combusting environment associated with metallurgical process and smelting industries. Successful and efficient development of a CFD model can predict the fluid flow behaviour, combustion behaviour, generation of turbulence and splashing and other fluid dynamic parameters inside the furnace. Present authors have developed a CFD model for zinc slag fuming process for top submerged lance smelting furnace. The model integrates complex combustion phenomena and chemical reactions with the heat, mass and momentum interfacial interaction between the phases present in the system. The model is based on 3-D Eulerian multiphase flow approach and commercial CFD package AVL FIRE 2009.2 (AVL, Graz, Austria) coupled with a number of user defined subroutines (UDF) in FORTRAN programming language were used to develop the model.