2000 Jonas Alexis Modeling of a DC Electric Arc Furnace. Heat Transfer from the Arc isijinternational.40.1089

This paper presents an advanced model of a direct current (DC) electric arc for predicting heat transfer, current density, and shear stresses at the interface of the steel bath surface in an electric arc furnace (EAF). The objective is to improve control of the metallurgical processes in EAFs and ladle furnaces (LFs) by coupling various existing models to enhance the predictive accuracy of heating effects. Methodologically, the study begins with a review of previous work followed by the development of a mathematical representation of the DC arc. The results include detailed distributions of temperature, velocity, and current within the arc, and an evaluation of the shear stress and heat flux at the steel bath boundary under varying arc lengths and currents. Improvements from the prior model are incorporated through the inclusion of induced current and refined boundary condition representations. Overall, the findings contribute to a better understanding of the heat and fluid dynamics involved in EAF operations, which is critical for optimizing efficiency and performance in steel production processes.