Height of the Spout of a Gas Plume Discharging from a Metal Melt

In the present investigation, the height of the spout of a gas plume discharging from the surface of a metal melt has been measured in a laboratory model involving mercury and in real steel ladles. The spout geometry strongly fluctuates with time. This has to be taken into account in the measuring method and data evaluation. Long-term averages of the spout profile and momentary maximum height values have been determined, and it has been found that their nondimensional values are of similar size in the model and in the steel ladle. An engineering formula is presented for the estimation of maximum spout height in argon stirring.