Fluid Dynamics in a Copper Converter: an Investigation on Mixing Phenomena in an Experimental Model

In this study, the mixing phenomena and fluid dynamics in a copper converter have been experimentally investigated using a physical model. The physical model is a 1:5 horizontal tank made of Plexiglas. The mixing phenomena have been characterized by experimentally measuring the mixing time using a tracer dispersion technique. Moreover, the effects of the air flow rate and lance submergence on the slopping in the model have been studied. The experiments have been carried out for the air flow rates of 10, 15, 17 and 20 lit/min with the lance submergences of 8.5, 9.5, 10.5 and 11.5 cm. The results show that the mixing time decreases with increasing both air flow rate and lance submergence. In addition, the slopping reduces as the lance submergence increases while the air flow rate decreases. Based on the results of the mixing time and the slopping, an optimum condition for air injection was obtained which not only ensures the sufficient mixing but also results in the less slopping in the model. Furthermore, the mixing times were evaluated in terms of the specific mixing power. A correlation was established for estimating the mixing time in the model with respect to the specific mixing power.