Optimization of the concentrate burner design for flash smelting furnace using mathematical simulation

This article addressed the optimization of the injection ring used in flash smelting furnaces (FSFs) for processing nickel-sulfide concentrates. The goal was to improve furnace performance by modifying the geometry and nozzle configuration of the injection ring. Six designs were developed, including two baseline configurations and four optimized ones, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were carried out to evaluate their performance. A 3D model of the furnace reaction shaft was generated, incorporating baseline flow parameters and boundary conditions. The model included several simplifications: the thermal effect of methane combustion was represented as a volumetric heat source, and the gas mixture components with volume fractions below 5% were neglected. The simulations demonstrated high accuracy in reproducing gas-dynamic behavior, with a discrepancy of just 2.5%.