Improvement of Desulfurization Efficiency via Numerical Simulation Analysis of Transport Phenomena of Kanbara Reactor Process

The Kanbara reactor (KR) process is a mechanical stirring method that reacts hot metal with desulfurization flux; it is a widely implemented desulfurization method in contemporary steel production. This study aimed to develop a new impeller profile for improving the desulfurization efficiency of the KR process. We implemented operational data analysis, a computational fluid dynamics simulation based on the operational data and performed testing and analysis with impeller models on-site a production facility. Operational data from the production facility was gathered over a 3-year period. Seven impeller models with varying impeller blade width (top and bottom), height, inclination, and curvature (curved, straight, and combination) were simulated. The results were analyzed to determine the optimal conditions. A new impeller design was selected for on-site operational testing to investigate the in situ desulfurization efficiency over 350 charges, and the results corroborated the predictions by the numerical simulations. It is expected that the proposed process modification can be successfully used for improving industrial desulfurization efficiency.