Investigation of the influence of design parameters on thermal processes in a blast furnace tuyere using ANSYS software

It is known that the maximum heat losses in a water­cooled tuyere of a blast furnace are in the blowing channel. An effective way to reduce them is to install a heat­insulating ceramic insert. Such inserts installed in the inner cup of air tuyeres for the blast furnace no. 5 of PJSC “Severstal” reduce heat losses through the tuyere by 30 %, and inserts, which, in addition, insulate most of the inner surface of the snout part, further reduce heat losses through the tuyere by 26.2 %. The ANSYS software was used to study the effect of design parameters on thermal processes in a blast furnace tuyere with heat­insulating insert. To make the simulation more realistic the entire air tuyere, including water­cooling circuit, was considered as the modeling object. Protrusion of the insert into the blowing channel by 2 mm improves the mixing of natural gas and blast, promotes gas combustion, which leads to an increase in heat losses through the blowing channel and a decrease in resistance of the insert. To increase durability of the insert and reduce heat losses through the blowing channel, it is justified to use an elongated insert with a thickness varying from 13 to 8 mm in the blowing direction, which does not protrude into the blowing channel, having an angle between the normal to the side of the inner cup and the axis of the hole for natural gas supplying about 30°. It is shown that to obtain the maximum heat content of the blast, which is influenced by the combustion of natural gas and heat losses with cooling water in the blowing channel, it is preferable to have an elongated insert of variable thickness, varying from 10 to 8 mm in the blowing direction, and axis of the hole for natural gas supply perpendicular to the wall of the inner cup.

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