CFD-Based Evaluation of Waste Heat Recovery and Pressure Drop in Rotary Sinter Coolers Under Varying Bed Properties and Inlet Conditions

Demonstrating the waste heat recovery potential of rotary sinter coolers in iron production facilities is critical for improving energy efficiency and reducing environmental impacts. In this study, numerical analyses were performed for the rotary cooler, and the system’s waste heat recovery capacity was optimized. The effects of particle size, porosity ratio, and inlet air temperature on system performance were examined in detail. Considering two different air outlet regions, the relationships between temperature profiles, cooling efficiency, and pressure loss were evaluated. The findings indicate that there is significant waste heat potential in high-temperature regions and that the system’s energy performance can be improved by recovering this energy. Furthermore, it was found that porosity and particle diameter have decisive effects on both heat transfer and pressure loss. For example, increasing the porosity ratio from 0.3 to 0.5 resulted in a 26% decrease in outlet air temperature and an 82.5% decrease in pressure drop. Similarly, increasing the particle diameter from 0.04 m to 0.08 m reduced the outlet temperature in one region by 11.2 K and the pressure loss by approximately 45%.