Novel Flash Ironmaking Technology Based on Iron Ore Concentrate and Partial Combustion of Natural Gas: A CFD Study

A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was developed to simulate a Large-Scale Bench Reactor (LSBR) applied to the flash ironmaking technology, in which the kinetics of magnetite concentrate reduction, separately determined in a drop-tube reactor, was incorporated. This article reports on a CFD study to test the effects of operating conditions, including O2/natural gas ratio and gas flow rates, on the product gas composition, temperature, heat loss through the walls of the LSBR, and reduction degree of the magnetite concentrate. Further, a comprehensive, general, and realistic boundary condition for heat transfer through the wall is incorporated in the CFD model, and thus, the CFD model presented in this article is completely predictive for the design of an industrial reactor.