Influence of the Diversion Cone Structure on the Inner Characteristic in Hydrogen‐Enriched Shaft Furnace: A Computational Fluid Dynamics Study

A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) mathematical model was developed in this study to explore how diversion cone structures affect inner characteristics. The model's accuracy was rigorously validated via comparative analysis with industrial operational data. The results show that with the addition of the diversion cone, the flow of reducing gas toward the central area is hindered. This leads to a reduction in the descending velocity of the burden in the central region of the shaft furnace, promoting uniform descent of the material. As the bottom of the diversion cone ascends, the dead zone beneath the diversion cone expands, and the thermal exchange zone between the reduction and cooling sections also enlarges. Consequently, the isothermal lines in the reduction section of the shaft furnace shift downward. In a shaft furnace with dual gas outlets, the efficiency of the furnace condition can be characterized by the oxygen removal capacity of the entire furnace gas. Among all cases, the case with a 3.4‐meter‐long lower cone of the diversion cone achieved the highest metallization rate (0.954) and oxygen removal capacity (2.409), and the Fe concentration distribution is the most uniform. In actual production processes, the lower cone of the double‐cone diversion cone should maintain a certain length.