Interaction between CO-Ar-Molten Steel Flow and Decarburization Reaction in Rheinstahl-Heraeus

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is an effective tool to investigate the transfer phenomena in Rheinstahl-Heraeus (RH), which is a multifunctional vacuum refining reactor with various chemical reactions. However, the reported mathematical models, which are based on the assumption of steady Ar-molten steel flow, ignore the CO gas generated by the chemical reaction between carbon and oxygen in RH. Herein, Based on the algebraic slip model, a two-way coupling model (T-WCM) is developed to explore the unsteady fluid flow (CO-Ar-molten steel) and mass transfer phenomena during decarburization chemical reaction. The measured data from the water model experiment and the industrial experiment are used to validate the numerical results. The carbon mass concentration predicted by T-WCM is closer to the result from industrial experiment than that predicted by one-way coupling model (O-WCM). The mole number of CO gas is about 3 times that of argon gas injected into RH, and the stirring effect of CO gas leads to a more complicated multiphase flow, enhances the mass transfer and prompts the reaction rate. Therefore, the gas-liquid flow and decarburization process in RH can be described more precisely only when CO gas is considered by T-WCM.

Automated summary

CFD is an effective tool for studying transfer phenomena in the RH system. The T-WCM model developed in this study shows better prediction results for carbon mass concentration compared to the O-WCM model. The presence of CO gas in the system significantly affects the multiphase flow, mass transfer, and reaction rate, leading to a more precise description of the gas-liquid flow and decarburization process in RH.