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Metals
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Modeling and Simulation of Multiphase Transport Phenomena in Process Metallurgy
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Modeling and Simulation of Multiphase Transport Phenomena in Process Metallurgy

A special issue of Metals (ISSN 2075-4701). This special issue belongs to the section "Extractive Metallurgy".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2024) | Viewed by 10899

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Qiang Li

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Metallurgy, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110819, China
Interests: multiphase transport phenomena; multiscale methodology; modeling and simulation; droplets, particles and bubbles, ironmaking and steelmaking; metallurgical reaction engineering

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Process metallurgy typically involves complex multiphase transport phenomena (MTP), including fluid flow, heat and mass transfer between inter/intra-phases with the dispersed phases such as droplets, particles and bubbles (DPBs) and continuum carried phase(s). Therefore, understanding the fundamentals governing MTP is of paramount importance to the design, control and optimization of widely used metal processes, such as those used for iron, steel, copper, aluminum, zinc, nickel, etc., as well as extracting/refining processes involving ferrous and non-ferrous metal manufacturing industries.

Compared to the difficulty of in situ observations due to high-temperature hostile environments and scaled-down experiments due to the failure of scale-up and similarity incompletely guaranteed, a promising alternative technique that can overcome these problems is computer modeling and simulation. The critical role of modeling and simulation in process metallurgy has been well recognized. Various modeling methods and simulation techniques have been extensively reported and provide possible solutions for the future development of the metals industry. However, it is more challenging to understand multiphase transport phenomena at different length and time scales which, for DPBs, includes: sub-DPB micro-scale, DPBs mesoscale, and reactors/process equipment macro-scale. Thus, multiscale, multiphase, and multi-disciplinary methods need to be employed to investigate phenomena and mechanisms in metallurgical processes.

In the past two decades or so, with the rapid development of computer technology, many advanced computational technologies have been developed and applied to tackle problems of various types. In this Special Issue, I am pleased to invite you to contribute to this topic related to the modeling and simulation of metallurgical processes, especially involving DPBs and MTP (either discrete- or continuum-based), such as molecular dynamics (MD), lattice Boltzmann method (LBM), smooth particle hydrodynamic (SPH), discrete element method (DEM), population balance model (PBM), two/multi-fluid method (TFM), Eulerian–Eulerian (E-E CFD), volume of fluid (VOF), or their coupled/combined/hybrid methods. The application of these techniques in metals processes is particularly encouraged, and related experimental or physical model investigations are also welcomed.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Fluid flow, heat and mass transfer phenomena in process metallurgy;
  • Modeling and simulation in extraction metallurgical processes;
  • Multiscale, multiphase, and multi-physics phenomena investigations;
  • Particles/inclusions, bubbles, and droplets;
  • Reactors and process optimizations for metal extraction and refinement;
  • Validation, verification, and calibration of modeling and simulation;
  • MD/LBM/SPH/DEM//PBM/VOF/CFD with/without a turbulence closure using DNS/RANS/LES/DES.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Qiang Li
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Metals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • process metallurgy
  • transport phenomena
  • modeling and simulation
  • ironmaking and steelmaking
  • refining processes
  • continuous casting
  • multiphase flow
  • inclusions, particles, bubbles and droplets
  • momentum, heat and mass transfer
  • MD/LBM/SPH/DEM/PBM/VOF/CFD
  • DNS/RANS/LES/DES

Published Papers (7 papers)

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Research

18 pages, 2936 KiB  
Article
Numerical Simulation of Cathode Nodule Local Effects
by Xiaoyu Wang, Chun Li and Jun Tie
Metals 2024, 14(4), 457; https://doi.org/10.3390/met14040457 - 12 Apr 2024
Viewed by 391
Abstract
As one of the main factors decreasing current efficiency and product quality, the growth of nodules deserves attention in the copper electrorefining process. Three-dimensional (3D) Finite Element Method models combining tertiary current distribution and fluid flow were established in this study to investigate [...] Read more.
As one of the main factors decreasing current efficiency and product quality, the growth of nodules deserves attention in the copper electrorefining process. Three-dimensional (3D) Finite Element Method models combining tertiary current distribution and fluid flow were established in this study to investigate the details of the growth of columnar nodules, including the electrolyte flow around the nodule and its effects. Compared with an inert nodule, a significant impact of the electrochemical reaction of an active nodule has been observed on the fluid flow, which may be one of the reasons for the formation of small nodule clusters on the cathode. Furthermore, the local current density is not even on the nodule surface under the comprehensive influence of local electrolyte flow, local overvoltage, and the angle with the anode surface. Thus, the head of an active nodule grows faster than the root, and the upper parts grow faster than the lower parts, leading to asymmetric growth of the nodules. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling and Simulation of Multiphase Transport Phenomena in Process Metallurgy)
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19 pages, 6671 KiB  
Article
Numerical Simulation of Macro-Segregation Phenomena in Transition Blooms with Various Carbon Contents
by Sicheng Song, Yanhui Sun and Chao Chen
Metals 2024, 14(3), 263; https://doi.org/10.3390/met14030263 - 22 Feb 2024
Viewed by 833
Abstract
This paper presents a numerical simulation of the steel grade transition from the ladle nozzle to the solidification end of the bloom. The simulation is based on models encompassing fluid flow, solidification, heat transfer, an electromagnetic field, and solute transport. To validate the [...] Read more.
This paper presents a numerical simulation of the steel grade transition from the ladle nozzle to the solidification end of the bloom. The simulation is based on models encompassing fluid flow, solidification, heat transfer, an electromagnetic field, and solute transport. To validate the accuracy of the steel grade transition model, transition blooms of high-carbon steel are sampled. Subsequently, the model is applied to investigating the steel grade transition between medium-carbon steel and low-carbon steel. The findings indicate that the regions exhibiting significant differences between their molten steel flow velocity and bloom casting speed in the strand model are primarily concentrated within 1 m below the meniscus. Additionally, the mushy zone in the strand model possesses a substantial volume. Solute elements continuously permeate the liquid phase from the solid phase through the mushy zone. Consequently, the distribution of solute elements in the transition bloom is primarily influenced by the molten steel flow in the tundish and macro-segregation in the casting process. The segregation degree of each solute element varies among grades with different carbon contents. In the austenite phase, the segregation degree of each element follows the order C > Si > Mo > Mn > Cr > Ni, while in the ferrite phase, the segregation degree is ordered as C > Si = Mn. Considering macro-segregation, the transition bloom partition model proves to be more stringent than the original partition method. This results in longer transition blooms when a significant difference exists between the new and old grades. For example, in Scheme 1, the original plan transition bloom length is 8.88 m, whereas the new plan transition bloom length is 10.88 m. Similarly, in Scheme 2, the original plan transition bloom length is 34.64 m, and the new plan transition bloom length is 35.16 m. Conversely, shorter partition intervals occur when there is an overlap in the composition of the new and old grades. In Scheme 3, the original plan partition interval for the new and old grades is 4.08 m, while the new plan partition interval is reduced to 0.94 m. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling and Simulation of Multiphase Transport Phenomena in Process Metallurgy)
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13 pages, 4263 KiB  
Article
Flow Field Study of Large Bottom-Blown Lead Smelting Furnace with Numerical Simulation
by Wenlong Xi, Liping Niu and Jinbo Song
Metals 2023, 13(6), 1131; https://doi.org/10.3390/met13061131 - 16 Jun 2023
Viewed by 986
Abstract
In this paper, a large bottom-blown lead smelting furnace is studied by numerical simulation, the flow characteristics of different planes, monitoring points and molten pool regions are analysed, and a formula is established to predict the velocity distribution of molten pool in the [...] Read more.
In this paper, a large bottom-blown lead smelting furnace is studied by numerical simulation, the flow characteristics of different planes, monitoring points and molten pool regions are analysed, and a formula is established to predict the velocity distribution of molten pool in the bottom-blown furnace. The results show that the flow between two adjacent oxygen lances will influence each other and effectively reduce the existence of a low-velocity region. The high-velocity region at the liquid surface is mainly distributed above the bubble molten pool reaction region (BMRR), and the velocity is transmitted to the upper/lower sides. The wall shear stress is mainly distributed at the bottom and on the walls on both sides of the BMRR. The pre-stabilisation time of a bottom-blown furnace is 2 s, and the unstable state existing in the local region will not have a great influence on the overall flow field in the furnace. The distribution of the bubble plume and the high-velocity region overlaps under the free liquid surface, and their boundaries are basically consistent. The fitting effect of the velocity cumulative percentage curve and each point is very good. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling and Simulation of Multiphase Transport Phenomena in Process Metallurgy)
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18 pages, 8233 KiB  
Article
CFD-DEM Investigation on Pressure Drops of Heterogeneous Alternative-Layer Particle Beds for Low-Carbon Operating Blast Furnaces
by Qiang Li, Shuai Guo, Shuai Wang and Zongshu Zou
Metals 2022, 12(9), 1507; https://doi.org/10.3390/met12091507 - 12 Sep 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3232
Abstract
Low-carbon operation technologies of the blast furnace (BF) are crucial for reducing carbon dioxide emissions from the steelmaking industry. The variation characteristic of permeability and structure in a BF lumpy zone has a critical impact on achieving low-carbon operations. Still, their influences have [...] Read more.
Low-carbon operation technologies of the blast furnace (BF) are crucial for reducing carbon dioxide emissions from the steelmaking industry. The variation characteristic of permeability and structure in a BF lumpy zone has a critical impact on achieving low-carbon operations. Still, their influences have not been fully understood, and related studies are very limited. To solve the problem of the deteriorating permeability of blast furnaces after lowering the coke ratio, this study aims to provide insights into the pressure drop of the lumpy zone in an ironmaking BF based on computational fluid dynamics coupled with the discrete element method (CFD-DEM) model. The study systematically investigates the influence of different packing configurations on permeability using a heterogeneous alternating-layer (HAL) packed bed. After the model was validated by comparing the simulation’s results with ones calculated by the Ergun equation, it was used to investigate the effects of the number of layers, coke-mixing ratio, nut coke replacement ratio, and particle-size ratio on the structure, void fraction variation, and pressure drop of the HAL packed bed. The results reveal the effect of these factors on the permeability of the lumpy zone, providing fundamental guidance towards low-carbon operations of BFs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling and Simulation of Multiphase Transport Phenomena in Process Metallurgy)
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28 pages, 20108 KiB  
Article
Effect of Uniform and Non-Uniform Increasing Casting Flow Rate on Dispersion and Outflow Percentage of Tracers in Four Strand Tundishes under Strand Blockage Conditions
by Jinping Fan, Yuqian Li, Chao Chen, Xin Ouyang, Tianyang Wang and Wanming Lin
Metals 2022, 12(6), 1016; https://doi.org/10.3390/met12061016 - 15 Jun 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1306
Abstract
The flow field, tracer dispersion and uniformity of strands in two designs of four-strand tun-dishes under normal conditions and single-strand blockage conditions are studied by numerical simulation. The casting speed (flow rate) of strands are increasing uniformly or non-uniformly to improve the strand [...] Read more.
The flow field, tracer dispersion and uniformity of strands in two designs of four-strand tun-dishes under normal conditions and single-strand blockage conditions are studied by numerical simulation. The casting speed (flow rate) of strands are increasing uniformly or non-uniformly to improve the strand blockage condition. The uniformity of strands of the cases are evaluated by a novel outflow percentage analysis method. The results show that the flow field in the tundish does not change significantly when the single-strand is blocked or the casting flow rate is increased. After blockage of one strand, the consistency of each strand of u-shaped weir tundish is better than that of double-weir tundish. With the uniform increasing of the casting flow rate, the response time of each strand decreases and the outflow percentage increases. However, the uniformity of strands improved slightly in double-weir tundish but decreased in u-shaped tundish. For the double-weir tundish, significantly increasing the casting flow rate of the strand located in the blocked part by a factor of 1.5 and slightly increasing the casting flow rate of the other strands by a factor of 1.25, the consistency of each strand is the best. For the u-shaped weir tundish, the consistency of each strand is improved by non-uniform increasing of the casting flow rate of the strands. The flow rate of the strand located in the blocked part and the other strands is increased by a factor of 1.25, and 1.375 or 1.2 and 1.4 are the optimized cases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling and Simulation of Multiphase Transport Phenomena in Process Metallurgy)
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12 pages, 4289 KiB  
Article
Numerical Simulation of Bubble and Velocity Distribution in a Furnace
by Weitian Ding, Bing Qi, Huiting Chen, Ying Li, Yuandong Xiong, Henrik Saxén and Yaowei Yu
Metals 2022, 12(5), 844; https://doi.org/10.3390/met12050844 - 16 May 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1470
Abstract
An industrial furnace, such as a blast furnace, molten salt furnace and a basic oxygen furnace, is a popular reactor, where the distribution of liquid, flow pattern of the fluid and the velocity of the fluid determine the energy distribution and chemical reaction [...] Read more.
An industrial furnace, such as a blast furnace, molten salt furnace and a basic oxygen furnace, is a popular reactor, where the distribution of liquid, flow pattern of the fluid and the velocity of the fluid determine the energy distribution and chemical reaction in the reactor. Taking a furnace as the research object, this paper studies the effects of different inlet velocities, liquid densities and viscosity on bubble and velocity distribution. A three-dimensional mathematical model of the furnace is set up by a numerical simulation, and the volume-of-fluid (VOF) method is used to study the behavior of bubbles. The accuracy of the simulation parameters selected in the simulation calculation is verified by comparing the simulation with the experimental results. The findings show that an excessive or too small an inlet velocity will lead to an uneven distribution of chlorine in the furnace, therefore, an inlet velocity of about 30 m/s is more appropriate. In addition, changing the liquid density has little effect on the bubble and velocity distribution while choosing the appropriate liquid viscosity can ensure the proper gas holdup and fluidity of chlorine in the furnace. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling and Simulation of Multiphase Transport Phenomena in Process Metallurgy)
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18 pages, 5880 KiB  
Article
Characteristics Analysis of Fluid Flow and Heating Rate of a Molten Bath Utilizing a Unified Model in a DC EAF
by Conglin Yao, Zhouhua Jiang, Hongchun Zhu and Tao Pan
Metals 2022, 12(3), 390; https://doi.org/10.3390/met12030390 - 23 Feb 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1602
Abstract
Herein, a 2D unified model coupling a plasma arc–molten bath–cavity in a direct current electric arc furnace was developed for a characteristic analysis of the fluid flow and heating rate of the molten bath. The ‘local thermodynamic equilibrium–diffusion approximation’ method was employed for [...] Read more.
Herein, a 2D unified model coupling a plasma arc–molten bath–cavity in a direct current electric arc furnace was developed for a characteristic analysis of the fluid flow and heating rate of the molten bath. The ‘local thermodynamic equilibrium–diffusion approximation’ method was employed for the physical phenomenon at the plasma arc/molten bath interface, and the volume-of-fluid method was used to track the free surface. After ensuring model validation, the formation processes of the cavity and the flow field and heating rate of the molten bath were investigated by utilizing the unified model. The numerical results showed that the formation processes of the cavity contained three stages, namely the expansion, compression, and dynamic equilibrium stages. The arc pressure and plasma shear stress both contributed to the cavity formation, and dominated the expansion of the cavity depth and diameter, respectively. Under plasma arc jet impingement, there were two flow patterns inside the molten bath: (i) a clockwise eddy on the top surface and lateral part of molten bath dominated by plasma shear stress, and (ii) a counter-clockwise eddy in the bottom part of the molten bath dominated by the electromagnetic force. Meanwhile, the main heated region of the molten bath with the plasma arc–molten bath–cavity coupling was in the radial range of 0.2–0.6 m, and a high-temperature region was formed on the top surface of the molten bath caused by plasma shear stress. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Modeling and Simulation of Multiphase Transport Phenomena in Process Metallurgy)
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