DEM study of the porosity distribution of sinter and coke layers in the throat region of a blast furnace

The porosity distribution of burden beds has an important influence on the gas flow distribution and chemical reactions in the blast furnace, while the initial porosity distribution in the top part of the furnace is determined by the original burden distribution. In this work, the layers of sinter and coke in the throat region were established to investigate the effect of multiple particle sizes on the porosity distribution by the discrete element method. The porosity calculation models for the layers are obtained by defining the dispersion degreed, and the porosity decreases with increasing dispersion of the materials. For the burden layers, the porosity of the coke layer is larger than the sinter layer, but the coordination number is reversed. The results also indicate that faster descending velocity and lower layer height have a significant effect on the reduction of porosity.

Automated summary

The porosity distribution of burden beds in the blast furnace is influenced by the gas flow distribution and chemical reactions. The initial porosity distribution in the furnace is determined by the original burden distribution. This study investigates the effect of multiple particle sizes on the porosity distribution in the throat region using the discrete element method. The results show that porosity decreases with increasing dispersion of the materials and that descending velocity and layer height play a significant role in reducing porosity.