Fluid flow analysis of jets from nozzles in top blown process

It is important to know the behavior of jets from a top blown lance in order to control the refining and spitting phenomena of the converter in the steelmaking process. However, there are few theoretical studies on the characteristics of the jets from the nozzles. In the present study, the characteristics of jets from single-nozzle and multi-nozzle lances were investigated by a fluid flow analysis based on fluid dynamics. The accuracy of the analysis was confirmed with the results of the cold model experiments. As a result, it is clarified that the dynamic pressures of the jets from the single-nozzle or multi-nozzle lances are in a good agreement with those in the cold model experiments and are influenced by the nozzle geometry such as the inclination angle and the number of nozzles. It is also clarified that the jets from the nozzles proceed the different paths from those obtained geometrically due to coalescence between the jets.