Deteccion of inactive zones in a metallurgical ladle

Abstract

The stirring of molten steel during the secondary refining step of metallurgical processes is important because it ensures the correct homogenization of the chemical and thermal composition. In this work, a water model of the gas - stirred ladle is studied, using the porous plug configuration used in the industrial prototype. Two fluid analysis techniques are used to determine the inactive or less agitated zones; the colorimetry technique and the particle imaging velocimetry technique. The former allows a global analysis of the movement of the liquid in the ladle, and the latter analyzes the air injection plane and the center of the ladle. The identification of the inactive zones will allow for the design of different porous plug configurations that enhance mixing and preclude the appearance of zones of low agitation.