Numerical Simulation of the Solid Particle Entrainment Behavior in Bottom-Blown Ladle

The entrainment behavior of solid particles from the top liquid surface into molten steel exerts a crucial influence on rapid slagging and efficient desulfurization during the refining process. A Euler–Euler mathematical model was established to describe the multiphase flow field and the entrainment behavior of solid particles in a bottom-blown ladle. This model was validated by comparison with water model experiments. The effects of bottom-blowing tuyere number, gas flow rate, and solid particle size on the flow field and particle entrainment behavior were investigated. It was found that increasing the gas flow rate enhances the participation of particles in the ladle; however, the entrainment effect changes minimally when the gas flow rate exceeds 192 Nm3/h. Increasing the number of tuyeres adversely affects particle entrainment and mixing efficiency, while simultaneously expanding the size of the “open eyes”. The particle size of the refining slag has a significant impact on the entrainment effect: when the particle size exceeds 10 mm, the particles are hardly entrained in the ladle. Reducing the particle size is more conducive to increasing the entrainment amount, but excessively small particles will significantly enlarge the size of the “open eyes”.