CFD modelling and optimization of oxygen supply mode in KIVCET smelting process

The influence of oxygen supply mode on the KIVCET (a Russian acronym for flash?cyclone?oxygen?electric?smelting) process was investigated using numerical simulation. The mass rate ratio (MRR) of central oxygen to lateral oxygen of the central jet distributor (CJD) burner was defined to express the oxygen supply mode, and the KIVCET process with an MRR ranging from 0.09 to 0.39 was simulated. The results show that there are four efficient reaction regions that correspond to four CJD burners. A higher central oxygen flow improves the mixing between particles and oxygen, thus enhancing reactions and shortening the reaction regions. However, a higher dust rate is induced due to the spread of the particle columns. The optimal MRR for a KIVCET furnace with a smelting capacity of 50000 kg/h is suggested to be 0.31. In this case, the chemical reactions associated with the feed are completed with an acceptable dust rate.

Evaluation of flow behavior in copper electro-refining cell with different inlet arrangements

The arrangement of electrolyte inlet in the copper electro-refining(ER)cell has a great influence on the local flow field,which affects the distribution of electrical current density in consequence.In order to understand the complicated phenomena ofelectrolyte flow behavior in vertical counter electrodes in full-scale copper ER cell,the three-dimensional computational fluiddynamics(CFD)models with four different arrangements of electrolyte inlets,i.e.,single inlet(SI),central bottom inlets(CBI),topside interlaced inlets(TII),and bottom side interlaced inlets(BII),were established to simulate the flow behavior.Simulation resultshave revealed that the parallel injection devices help to improve the electrolyte velocity between electrodes,and while the relativerange of electrolyte velocity in CBI exceeds that of TII and BII,which is more than4times,indicating its severer unequal flowdistribution.Meanwhile,the average velocity of electrolyte in BII is4times larger than that of SI due to its higher turbulenceintensity.Generally,one of the efficient ways to supply fresh copper solution rapidly and uniformly into the inter-electrode space is toadapt the arrangement of BII.By utilizing such an arrangement,the electro-refining under high electrical current density is possible,and the productivity can be increased in sequence.