Mixing models for gas stirred metallurgical reactors

The mixing of liquids in ladles, (0.5 ≦L/D ≦ 2.0), agitated by a centrally rising bubble plume, has been analyzed both theoretically and experimentally. An exhaustive review of previous metallurgical literature on mixing in ladles and furnaces demonstrates that the majority of previous investigators in the field consider mixing to be brought about primarily by turbulent diffusion phenomena. The present study clearly shows that mixing is a combination of both convection and eddy diffusion processes, neither of which can be disregarded for gas stirred systems. For predicting mixing times during such gas injection procedures, a simple empirical equation is proposed for axisymmetric systems:τmαεm−1/3L−1R5/3. Hereτm is the 95 pct mixing time,εm is the specific energy input rate,R is the vessel radius, andL is the depth of liquid. On the basis of physical and mathematical modeling, the rate of liquid mixing in conventional gas injection ladle metallurgy operations is compared with those observed in C.A.S. (composition adjustment by sealed argon bubbling) systems. It was found that mixing in C.A.S. operations is relatively slow and highly insensitive to gas flowrates(i.e., specific energy input rates).