Effect of the Fluid‐Dynamic Structure on the Mixing Time of a Ladle Furnace

This work shows the analysis of the fluid‐structure over the mixing time in a ladle furnace. A 1/7 scale acrylic model is constructed from a 135 t ladle, the injection configuration, and the gas flow injected at the bottom of the model are varied. The techniques applied for this study are Colorimetry, Conductimetry (KCl), and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). The results indicate that the number, size, and location of the recirculations in the bulk of the fluid have a noteworthy effect on the mixing time of the ladle. The results show that, for configurations involving one gas injection, the increase in gas flow rate does not diminish the degree of homogenization in the analyzed ladle, which is contrary to the logic regarding the energy state of the system. This is explained by taking into account the fluid dynamics structure obtained for the corresponding cases of study. Fluid Dynamics Structure (FDS) in an agitated Ladle Furnace (LF) by gas bottom injection, plays a key role to homogenize steel bath when ferroalloys are released during steel refining operations. Experimental observation shows that inclusive increasing gas flow rate for a single injection does not diminish the mixing time parameter.