THE TRAJECTORIES AND DISTRIBUTION OF PARTICLES IN A TURBULENT AXISYMMETRIC GAS-JET INJECTED INTO A FLASH FURNACE SHAFT

Numerical computations have been performed for the behavior of a vertical turbulent particle-laden gas jet exemplified by the shaft region of a flash-smelting furnace. The two-equation (k-Ε) model was used to describe turbulence. Model predictions for the gas and solid flow fields give a satisfactory representation of experimental data taken from the literature. The predictions of flow properties of the two phases under flash-smelting conditions have been obtained for various inlet conditions, particle sizes, particle loading, and oxygen enrichment. Model predictions show that the axial velocity of the particle phase is substantially higher than that of the gas phase. The presence of solid particles causes the axial velocity of the gas phase to be greater near the centerline and lower in the outer region than in a single-phase gas jet. A more uniform distribution of particles was obtained by introducing a strong radial velocity of the distribution air at the inlet. The implications of the behavior of a particle-laden gas jet on flash-smelting processes are discussed.