Fengsheng Qi

Population Balance Modeling of Polydispersed Bubbly Flow in Continuous-Casting Using Multiple-Size-Group Approach

A population balance model based on the multiple-size-group (MUSIG) approach has been developed to investigate the polydispersed bubbly flow inside the slab continuous-casting mold and bubble behavior including volume fraction, breakup, coalescence, and size distribution. The Eulerian–Eulerian approach is used to describe the equations of motion of the two-phase flow. All the non-drag forces (lift force, virtual mass force, wall lubrication force, and turbulent dispersion force) and drag force are incorporated in this model. Sato and Sekiguchi model is used to account for the bubble-induced turbulence. Luo and Svendsen model and Prince and Blanch model are used to describe the bubbles breakup and coalescence behavior, respectively. A 1/4th water model of the slab continuous-casting mold was applied to investigate the distribution and size of bubbles by injecting air through a circumferential inlet chamber which was made of the specially-coated samples of mullite porous brick, which is used for the actual upper nozzle. Against experimental data, numerical results showed good agreement for the gas volume fraction and local bubble Sauter mean diameter. The bubble Sauter mean diameter in the upper recirculation zone decreases with increasing water flow rate and increases with increasing gas flow rate. The distribution of bubble Sauter mean diameter along the width direction of the upper mold increases first, and then gradually decreases from the SEN to the narrow wall. Close agreements between the predictions and measurements demonstrate the capability of the MUSIG model in modeling bubbly flow inside the continuous-casting mold.

Numerical investigation of the interaction of the turbulent dual-jet and acoustic propagation*

In order to study the interaction between two independent jets, a three-dimensional (3D) transient mathematical model is developed to investigate the flow field and acoustic properties of the two-stream jets. The results are compared with those of the single-stream jet at Mach number 0.9 and Reynolds number 3600. The large eddy simulation (LES) with dynamic Smagorinsky sub-grid scale (SGS) approach is used to simulate the turbulent jet flow structure. The acoustic field is evaluated by the Ffowcs Williams–Hawkings (FW-H) integral equation. Considering the compressibility of high-speed gas jets, the density-based explicit formulation is adopted to solve the governing equations. Meanwhile, the viscosity is approximated by using the Sutherland kinetic theory. The predicted flow characteristics as well as the acoustic properties show that they are in good agreement with the existing experimental and numerical results under the same flow conditions available in the literature. The results indicate that the merging phenomenon of the dual-jet is triggered by the deflection mechanism of the Coanda effect, which sequentially introduces additional complexity and instability of flow structure. One of the main factors affecting the dual-jet merging is the aperture ratio, which has a direct influence on the potential core and surrounding flow fluctuation. The analysis on the noise pollution reveals that the potential core plays a fundamental role in noise emission while the additional mixing noise makes less contribution than the single jet noise. The overall sound pressure level (OASPL) profiles have a directive property, suggesting an approximate 25° deflection from the streamwise direction, however, shifting toward lateral direction of about 10° to 15° in the dual-jet. The conclusion obtained in this study can provide valuable data to guide the development of manufacturing-green technology in the multi-jet applications.

Numerical investigation on the fluid flow and heat transfer in electroslag remelting furnace with triple-electrode

Electroslag remelting (ESR) furnace with triple-electrode is always used to produce large ingots and the process complexity makes the application not widely spread. Thus, a transient three-dimensional coupled model in industrial scale has been developed to investigate the coupled magneto-hydrodynamics two-phase flow and heat transfer in system. Different from the previous studies with multi-electrode, the current work reveals the triple-electrode ESR with the formation of metal droplets and the solidification of liquid metal. Compared with single-electrode system with the same fill ratio, the heat source in the slag pool with triple-electrode is much more dispersive, and the U-shape metal pool in the ESR furnace with triple-electrode is much shallower and flatter than the V-shaped one in the single-electrode system. A shorter distance from each electrode to the center of system brings a higher heat efficiency, as well as a deeper and narrower metal pool.

Numerical Study and Structural Optimization of a Top Combustion Hot Blast Stove

The hot blast stove is one of the most important equipment devices in the blast furnace iron making process. The temperature and duration of hot air are the crucial parameters to assess the performance of the hot blast stove. In order to sustain the desired high temperature air, it requires rapid completed combustion reaction, stable flue gas flow structure, and uniform temperature distribution throughout the regenerator. In the present work, a 3D numerical model with all essential turbulence, heat transfer, and combustion considerations has been developed to assess the performance of a typical hot air stove. The flow field of the whole domain and temperature distribution within the regenerator were simulated using the model. The predicted results show that the velocity at each nozzle varies substantially due to the uneven pressure distribution in cavity of the traditional hot blast stove, generating the eccentric vortex that leads to nonuniform temperature distribution in the regenerator. In order to solve this problem, a new structure design of top combustion regenerative hot blast stove is proposed. Numerical simulations were then carried out to compare based on the performance of the new hot blast stove design against the traditional hot blast stove.