Water Modeling of Mushroom Formations in a Gas Bottom-Blowing BOF Steelmaking Process

A water model with a low temperature (-170 ) gas blow °C -in system was established to simulate the phenolmena inside a steelmaking furnace, to investigate the effects of gas bottom blowing conditions on the shape and dimensions of the mushroom formation, sitting on the gas tuyeres. It was observed that ice mushroom formations in the shape of cones with hollow channels for gas flow through were formed. As the gas flow rate was increased, the ice mushroom formations in the highest, most stable water temperatures of the water model also increased. In addition, The Buckingham Pi theorem was adopted to derive the important dimensionless parameters for correlating conditions of mushroom formation in similar systems. Then, by combining dimensionless parameters with heat transfer equations that describe the heat transfer across the mushroom, quantitative relations based on the similarity conversion of similar systems was established. The dimensions of the mushroom formation in the steelmaking furnace were calculated by ssimilarity conversion results. The results show the dimensions of steel mushroom formation sizes are proportional to the gas flow rate and inversely proportional to the molten steel temperature.