Numerical investigation of gas flow through blast furnace shaft with designed layered structure of ore and coke burdens

Detailed comments on governing equations and boundary conditions on which numerical results of gas flow in porous media should rely are presented. Numerical results are shown for the gas flow through a large blast furnace with designed layered structure of burdens. Not only the effects of radial and vertical distributions of resistance to flow but also the effects of different top profiles of burden, such as V-, M-shapes and V-shape with a side terrace, on the resultant gas flow are discussed in relation to the properties of burden, such as repose angle, particle size, voidage and different charging sequence. For the gas flow in a coaxial annulus bed, which is expected to appear in the lower part of blast furnace during a start-up or a blow-out operation, numerical predictions are compared with analytical ones based on a simple yet convenient gas flow model.