2011 Morshed Alam Inclined Jetting and Splashing in Electric Arc Furnace Steelmaking isijinternational.51.1439

In Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) steelmaking, the phenomenon of liquid metal splashing on the furnace wall due to high-speed oxygen jets poses significant operational challenges, including wear of the furnace wall and loss of production. This study aims to investigate the impact of varying operating conditions, such as lance angle, lance height, and flow rate, on the wall splashing rate in order to optimize these conditions and enhance productivity. A controlled experimental setup was designed, where air was injected on the water surface within a small-scale thin slice model under different configurations. Results indicate that the forward splashing rate increases with both the lance angle and flow rate, while the critical depth of penetration and the impact velocity for onset of splashing decrease with increasing lance angle. Additionally, the influence of lance angle on the dimensionless Blowing number (NB), which quantifies the droplet generation rate, was thoroughly examined. A novel approach for modeling the gas jet impingement phenomenon in the actual furnace environment using a room temperature water model is proposed. This research provides insights to mitigate splashing and improve the efficiency of EAF operations.