Effects of single lance configuration on coal combustion process in tuyere from viewpoint of coal plume

Pulverized coal utilization in the blast furnace is decided by the particle flow and combustion behaviors in the raceway. Under a specific operating condition, these behaviors are directly related to the lance configuration in the upstream tuyere zone. Focusing on single straight lance, six types of single lance configurations were designed by assembling four parameters in different ways. These four parameters are the lance diameter, lance insertion angle, and the horizontal and vertical distances from the lance tip to the tuyere tip. With different lance configuration schemes applied, the pulverized coal combustion process in the lance–blowpipe–tuyere zone was simulated. The simulation results regarding particle diffusion and combustion behaviors were characterized by three indicators from the viewpoint of a coal plume. They are the plume diffusion angle, diffusion uniformity, and the average plume temperature at the tuyere outlet. To promote coal utilization, the values of these indicators under different configurations were analyzed, yielding two optimal configurations. The first one is to reduce the lance length immersed in the blowpipe–tuyere by 100 mm. The other is to increase the horizontal distance from the lance tip to the tuyere outlet by 50 mm, and the insertion angle to 11° with the lance tip located at the tuyere centerline. The findings can enhance the understanding of the influence mechanism of lance configuration on the coal utilization and provide guidelines for the design of new lance configurations.