7TH EUROPEAN COKE AND IRONMAKING CONGRESS - ECIC 2016

Ironmaking blast furnace (BF) operation and control is quite a challenging task due to the “black box” nature of the process. The difficulty is further aggravated by the fact that the overall performance of the furnace is simultaneously influenced by both in-furnace and out-of-furnace processes. However, the difficulty can be somewhat mitigated through application of empirical knowledge, carrying out appropriate measurements and numerical modelling. A bell-less top BF charging system equipped with a conveyor belt burden delivery arrangement is the basis of this work. The current study presents a discrete element method (DEM) simulation of sinter and nut coke interaction during conveyor belt transportation and discharge into parallel furnace top materials bins. Both qualitative and quantitative analysis of the burden flow streams and trajectories have been compared to experimental measurements of the same equipment geometry. The results obtained are useful in aiding the understanding of behaviour, interactions, mixing and segregation characteristics of the burden flow. Further, the results provide a basis for future improvement of the charging system with ultimate objective of achieving improved understanding and control of the nut coke distribution within the ferrous charge and thus optimizing chemical reactions, heat and mass transfer between solids and fluids.