Mechanism and simulation of droplet coalescence in molten steel

Bing Ni; Tao Zhang; Hai-qi Ni; Zhi-guo Luo

doi:10.1007/s12613-017-1517-z

Volume 24 Issue 11

Nov. 2017

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Article Navigation > International Journal of Minerals, Metallurgy and Materials > 2017 > 24(11): 1251-1259

Bing Ni, Tao Zhang, Hai-qi Ni, and Zhi-guo Luo, Mechanism and simulation of droplet coalescence in molten steel, Int. J. Miner. Metall. Mater., 24(2017), No. 11, pp. 1251-1259. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-017-1517-z

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Bing Ni, Tao Zhang, Hai-qi Ni, and Zhi-guo Luo, Mechanism and simulation of droplet coalescence in molten steel, Int. J. Miner. Metall. Mater., 24(2017), No. 11, pp. 1251-1259. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12613-017-1517-z

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Research Article

Mechanism and simulation of droplet coalescence in molten steel

+ Author Affiliations

Corresponding author:
Tao Zhang E-mail: zhangt1022@gmail.com
Received: 20 February 2017; Revised: 29 April 2017; Accepted: 4 May 2017

Abstract

Abstract

Droplet coalescence in liquid steel was carefully investigated through observations of the distribution pattern of inclusions in solidified steel samples. The process of droplet coalescence was slow, and the critical Weber number (We) was used to evaluate the coalescence or separation of droplets. The relationship between the collision parameter and the critical We indicated whether slow coalescence or bouncing of droplets occurred. The critical We was 5.5, which means that the droplets gradually coalesce when We ≤ 5.5, whereas they bounce when We > 5.5. For the carbonate wire feeding into liquid steel, a mathematical model implementing a combined computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-discrete element method (DEM) approach was developed to simulate the movement and coalescence of variably sized droplets in a bottom-argon-blowing ladle. In the CFD model, the flow field was solved on the premise that the fluid was a continuous medium. Meanwhile, the droplets were dispersed in the DEM model, and the coalescence criterion of the particles was added to simulate the collision-coalescence process of the particles. The numerical simulation results and observations of inclusion coalescence in steel samples are consistent.
- mechanism;
- simulation;
- droplet;
- collision;
- coalescence;
- molten steel

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References

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