Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Investigation on the Fluid Flow and Mixing Phenomena in a Ruhrstahl-Heraeus (RH) Steel Degasser Using Physical Modeling

  • Published:
JOM Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In this article, the water model was established to investigate the fluid flow and mixing phenomena during the Ruhrstahl-Heraeus refining process. The mixing time was measured by detecting the conductivity. The velocity, turbulent energy and its dissipation rate were measured using a particle-image velocimetry. There were several findings in the current study. The jet from the downleg penetrated to the bottom of the ladle, collided with the right wall of the ladle, and then went upward and sloped left to enter the upleg, generating a recirculation eddy below the upleg. The turbulent fluctuation velocities at different directions were different so that the k–ε turbulent model is invalid to accurately study the fluid flow during ladle refining process. The mixing time was usually three to four times that of the recirculation time, and the mixing was different at different locations. When the mixing time is reported, the location where the mixing time is measured should be clearly mentioned. The mixing time was dependent on the stirring power by t mix ~ ε−0.42.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
Fig. 16
Fig. 17

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. S.K. Ajmani, S.K. Dash, S. Chandra, and C. Bhanu, ISIJ Int. 44, 82 (2004).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. K. Yamaguchi, Y. Kishimoto, and T. Sukuraya, ISIJ Int. 32, 126 (1992).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. C. Kamata, H. Matsumura, H. Miyasaka, S. Hayashi, in Steelmaking Conference Proceeding (1998), p. 609.

  4. T. Katoh and T. Okamoto, Denki-Seiko Electr. Furn. Steel 50, 128 (1979).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. K.D. Xu, in Proceedings of 7th International Conference on Vacuum Metallurgy (ISIJ, Tokyo, 1982), pp. 1391–1403.

  6. R. Tsujino, J. Nakashima, M. Hirai, and I. Sawada, ISIJ Int. 29, 589 (1989).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. D. Mazumdar and R.I.L. Guthrie, ISIJ Int. 35, 1 (1995).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Y. Kato, T. Kirihara, T. Fujii, Kawasaki Steel Technical Report, vol. 32 (1995), p. 25.

  9. B.K. Li and F. Tsukihashi, ISIJ Int. 40, 1203 (2000).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. R.K. Hanna, T. Jones, R.I. Blake, and M.S. Millman, Ironmak. Steelmak. 21, 37 (1994).

    Google Scholar 

  11. J. Wei, ISIJ Int. 47, 408 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. D. Geng, Ironmak. Steelmak. 43, 35 (2008).

    Google Scholar 

  13. M. Hirase, Iron Steel Institute Specification Report No. 154 (1965), p. 459.

  14. M. Wahlster and H.H. Reichel, Steel Times 195, 459 (1968).

    Google Scholar 

  15. H. Watanabe, Tetsu-To-Hagané 54, 1327 (1968).

    Google Scholar 

  16. H. Maas and P. Hupfer, Vacuum 19, 199 (1969).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. K. Ono, M. Yanagida, T. Katoh, M. Miwa, and T. Okamoto, Denki-Seiko Electr. Furn. Steel 52, 149 (1981).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. T. Kuwabara, K. Umezawa, and M. Kouji, Trans. Iron Steel Inst. Jpn. 28, 305 (1988).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Y. Kato, H. Nakato, T. Fujii, S. Ohmiya, and S. Takatori, ISIJ Int. 33, 1088 (1993).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. F. Ahrenhold and W. Pluschkell, Steel Res. 69, 54 (1998).

    Google Scholar 

  21. C. Kamata, S. Hayashi, and K. Ito, Tetsu-To-Hagané 84, 484 (1998).

    Google Scholar 

  22. K. Nakanishi, T. Fujii, and J. Szekely, Ironmak. Steelmak. 2, 193 (1975).

    Google Scholar 

  23. X.G. Ai, S.L. Li, and Y.P. Bao, Steelmaking 27, 58 (2011).

  24. J.H. Wei, X.Y. Jiang, L.J. Wen, in Paper presented at the 14th CSM Annual Steelmaker Conference Proceedings, Chongqing, China, Nov. 2006.

  25. L. Lin, Y.P. Bao, F. Yue, L. Zhang, and H. Ou, Int. J. Min. Metall. Mater. 19, 483 (2012).

  26. J.H. Wei and H. Hu, Chin. J. Proc. Eng. 6, 66 (2006).

    Google Scholar 

  27. K. Shirabe and J. Szekely, Trans. Iron Steel Inst. Jpn. 23, 465 (1983).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  28. F. Li, L. Zhang, Y. Liu, Y. Li, in 5th International Symposium on High-Temperature Metallurgical Processing, ed. by T. Jiang, J.-Y. Hwang, M.E. Schlesinger, O. Yucel, R. Padilla, P.J. Mackey, G. Zhou (TMS, Warrendale, PA, 2014), pp. 459–466.

  29. L.F. Zhang, X.J. Jing, Z.B. Xu, K.K. Cai, L.X. Zhu, H.C. Fei, J. Cui, and F. Kang, Ironmak. Steelmak. 32, 633 (1997).

    Google Scholar 

  30. Y.G. Park, W.C. Doo, K. Mori, and H. Watanabe, ISIJ Int. 40, 749 (2000).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. V. Seshadri, Trans. Iron Steel Inst. Jpn. 26, 604 (1986).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  32. Y. Chen, L. Zhang, L. Sun, A. Dong, B. Yu, S. Yang, J. Li, S. Li, in Proceedings of AISTech 2011 Iron & Steel Technology Conference, vol. I (AIST, Warrendale, PA, 2011), pp. 1647–1658.

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful for support from the National Science Foundation China (Grant Nos. 51274034, 51334002, and U1360201), Beijing Key Laboratory of Green Recycling and Extraction of Metals (GREM), the Laboratory of Green Process Metallurgy and Modeling (GPM2), and the High Quality Steel Consortium (HQSC) at the School of Metallurgical and Ecological Engineering at University of Science and Technology Beijing (USTB), China.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Metallurgical and Ecological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing, 100083, People’s Republic of China

    Lifeng Zhang & Fei Li

Authors
  1. Lifeng Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Fei Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Lifeng Zhang.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Zhang, L., Li, F. Investigation on the Fluid Flow and Mixing Phenomena in a Ruhrstahl-Heraeus (RH) Steel Degasser Using Physical Modeling. JOM 66, 1227–1240 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-014-1023-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11837-014-1023-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation