Numerical Simulation of Alumina-Mixing Process with a Multicomponent Flow Model Coupled with Electromagnetic Forces in Aluminum Reduction Cells

An extended computational fluid dynamics model combined with the driving forces of anode gas bubbles and electromagnetic forces (EMFs) was developed for the alumina-mixing process in aluminum reduction cells. A practical feeding scheme and the consuming rate of alumina depending on the local current intensity of the bath–metal interface were considered in the simulation. A comparative numerical study was carried out using the models with and without considering the EMFs. The results show that considering different driving forces in modeling can lead to different results for alumina mixing in the cell. The existence of the bubble movement makes alumina disperse more quickly in local areas, and it greatly contributes to the vertical dispersion in the early stage of mixing. The EMF plays a more important role in the long-range transportation of alumina in the cell. Both forces should be taken into consideration in the modeling because they have a positive influence on distribution uniformity and the dispersion rate of alumina.     

The numerical modeling of melt flow and MHD instabilities in an aluminum reduction cell

The melt flow field and magneto-hydrodynamics (MHD) instabilities in aluminum reduction cells strongly affect the current efficiency and cell operation and a great deal of effort has gone into modeling melt flow and MHD instabilities. In this review, the progress of melt flow is presented: the successes and defects of modeling melt flow via k-ɛ model, Navier-Stokes equations due to different driving forces of electromagnetic forces, gas bubbles, and the combined effect of these driving forces are discussed. A new three-dimensional (3-D) multi-phase (electrolyte-aluminum-bubble) model needs to be developed. In MHD instabilities, several different published methods are reviewed such as: two-dimensional/3-D linear model, Kelvin-Helmholtz (K-H) model, linear mode coupling model, nonlinear instabilities and velocity coupling model. The benefits, limitations, and effectiveness of each type of model are considered.     

Mass Transfer Model for the De-oxidation of Molten Copper

In this paper, we present a mass transfer model that predicts two different mechanisms that control copper de-oxidation: (1) the transport of the reducing gas from the gas bubbles towards the melt/bubble interface, and (2) the transport of dissolved oxygen from the melt towards the melt/bubble interface. The model accounts for gas fluid flow and other process parameters such as lance submergence and nozzle diameter. The model was validated with published data and predictions from our model are in good agreement with the values reported. The key parameters to determine are the mass transfer coefficients of the reducing gas and that of the dissolved oxygen in the melt.     

Development of a numerical model for hydrogen bubble generation,dynamics and trapping during solidification of aluminium alloys through Eulerian-Lagrangian framework

ABSTRACT

In the present study, the authors developed a new numerical model to predict the bulk fluid flow, heat transfer, hydrogen species transfer with the hydrogen bubble generation, dynamics and trapping during solidification of aluminium through the continuum theory with Lagrangian bubble dynamics. The generated bubble size is assumed to be dependent on the microstructure. The bubble drag force is newly proposed in the Euler-Lagrange framework. In a model casting system, almost all generated hydrogen bubbles are trapped into a solidified aluminium. However, the hydrogen bubbles are capable of generating in the melt phase and detaching from the mushy zone when the initial hydrogen concentration is high. In this case, the hydrogen bubbles move upward due to buoyancy and this movement is slightly affected by the surrounding melt flow.     

Physical modeling of gas induced bath flow in drained aluminum reduction cell

A room temperature physical model was used to study the bubble behavior and gas induced bath circulation in a drained aluminum reduction cell. By passing compressed argon through the penetrated Plexiglas box bottom plate immersed in water, gas evolution at the anode bottom surface was simulated. Bubble behavior and liquid flow field were studied and analysis was presented. Bath secondary recirculation was observed in the interpolar gap not the net rising flow as expected. Liquid driven by the bubbles forms small vortices along the interpolar gap with small mean and turbulent velocities and accordingly poor mass transfer. Secondary recirculation also exists between the slot and interpolar gap, part of the flow in the interpolar gap go to the slot with the bubbles and fluid at the bottom of the slot enters the interpolar gap directly without going to the center channel. The existence of the fluid secondary recirculation is very unfavorable to the alumina dissolution and dispersion. Increasing the anode tilt or gas flow rate, or decreasing the anode-cathode distance can make the secondary recirculation in the interpolar gap weak, however, will intensify the secondary recirculation between the slot and interpolar gap.     

高效喷气精炼过程中的机械搅拌

在喷气精炼过程中,气泡的分散和细化是提高精炼效率的必要条件。在水模型实验中应用了单向的偏心搅拌模式来寻找最佳的气泡微细化条件。影响气泡微细化的因素有：搅拌模式、偏心度、搅拌转速、喷嘴结构、喷嘴的浸入深度以及气体流量。气体的喷入方式包括两种,一是从搅拌桨下方的喷嘴中直接喷入,二是从一个位于搅拌桨下方的弯管中喷入。在偏心搅拌模式下,漩涡远离了搅拌桨的轴心,小气泡产生于搅拌桨附近的强湍流或高剪切应力场中,随着机械搅拌产生的宏观流向漩涡方向移动。因此,单向的偏心搅拌模式能促进气泡在溶池内的细化和分散。     

静流式铝电解槽磁场仿真及设计

通过对槽内磁场、电流场的分析和研究,提出一种静流式铝电解槽的概念,采用阴极垂直出电的方式代替目前的水平出电方式,从而大幅度降低铝液层中的水平电流,大幅度削弱电磁力对槽内熔体的影响,进而减小铝液的流动和波动,将电磁影响削弱到最低程度以实现熔体界面高稳定性,并依此原理设计开发新型高效节能型铝电解试验槽。同时对母线配置进行设计,在最优化母线配置下,磁场数值仿真计算结果表明,该电解槽垂直磁场最大值为0.896 3 mT,平均值为0.360 2 mT,远低于同规格普通电解槽的垂直磁场,从而可获得电解槽超稳定运行条件,为大幅度降低极距,实现大幅度节能创造条件。     

泡沫铝气泡长大动力学

利用海岛模型导出金属流体中气泡长大的连续性方程、运动方程和扩散质量守恒方程,与气泡表面的质量守恒、西华特定律和理想气体状态方程构成气泡长大动力学方程组,在确定粘度、扩散系数和表面张力以及忽略部分惯性力的基础上,对动力学方程组进行了求解,得到金属流体中气泡长大动力学方程,可用于描述泡沫铝气泡长大过程中时间、温度、第二相质量分数及压强各参数对气泡半径变化的影响,是金属流体中气泡演变过程动力学的首次理论描述。     

预焙铝电解槽阳极底部开排气沟对电解质流场的影响

对预焙铝电解槽阳极底部开排气沟时周围电解质流场进行计算,发现部分阳极气体可以通过排气沟向外排放,减少气泡在阳极底部停留时间和阳极底掌气泡覆盖率,从而有利于降低极间电阻压降和阳极效应系数,减少电解能耗;另一方面气体带动电解质进入排气沟,然后进入电解槽侧部通道,扩大了电解质循环通道,促进了阳极周围电解质流动和槽内的传质传热,有利于保持电解正常进行,相比之下排气沟为通沟时较非通沟更有利于保持电解质流动稳定;同时由于排气沟促进了阳极气体排放,使铝液与阳极气体发生“二次反应”(即电解还原的铝卷入电解质中被阳极气体重新氧化)的机会减少,有利于提高铝电解电流效率。     

富氧底吹熔炼炉内气液两相流动的数值模拟

以某公司的富氧底吹熔池熔炼炉为原型,运用数值模拟的方法对炉内氧气铜锍两相流动进行三维瞬态模拟,研究炉内气泡主要参数、气含率分布规律、氧枪出口附近压力变化以及液面波动情况。并借助于高速摄像仪设备,对水模型实验中气泡形成、合并、变形及破碎过程进行研究,所得结果与模拟结果进行比较。结果表明:所建立的数学模型是合理的。氧气铜锍两相流动模拟结果表明,炉内气泡形成时间为0.12~0.25 s,生成频率为4~5 Hz,其短轴大小集中在3.5d~6.5d(d为氧枪直径尺寸);气泡停留时间为0.2~0.4 s,其在熔池内的平均上浮速度约为4 m/s;7°和22°氧枪出口气泡后座现象出现的平均频率分别为5 Hz和7 Hz,作用时间为0.06 s;高效反应区存在于熔池上部区域;气相搅动液相所形成的表面重力波在沉淀区传播的过程中,波幅衰减很快,当波传播到出渣口附近时,液面趋于静止。     

相界面逸出惰性气泡时相间传质

本文针对液-液两相接触时的传质过程,以流体动力学理论及相间传质的渗透理论为基础,根据界面上惰性气泡逸出界面时流体流动及传质过程的特征,导出了气泡促进的相间传质系数的数学关系式。该关系式表明,流体中传质速率不仅与逸出气泡的体积速度的平方根成正比,同时与气泡大小、界面上气泡分布密度等参数有关。该关系式能较好地描述文献中的实验数据。     

Resistance due to gas bubbles in aluminum reduction cells

The contribution of gas bubbles to electrical resistance in aluminum reduction cells is becoming increasingly important as smelters attempt to reduce energy consumption. A prime example is the widespread introduction of slotted anodes to encourage faster gas bubble release from under the anodes. However, quantification of the bubble resistance is difficult, which makes evaluation of process changes problematic. Studies of the effect of bubbles on electrical resistance in industrial cells, laboratory-scale electrolysis experiments, and physical models are reviewed in this paper.     

Numerical calculation and industrial measurements of metal pad velocities in Hall-Heroult cells

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渣-金界面气泡夹带行为数值物理模拟EI北大核心CSCD

利用物理模拟和数值模拟研究气泡和熔渣不同物性参数对气泡在渣-金界面夹带量的影响。研究结果表明,影响气泡夹带量和渣-金界面面积的主要因素是气泡直径,其次是渣层密度,渣黏度和界面张力对气泡夹带影响相对较小。气泡初始直径由10 mm增大到16 mm,气泡夹带量增大了7.41倍,渣-金界面面积增量最大值增大3.67倍。渣层密度由2000 kg/m^(3)增大到5000 kg/m^(3),气泡夹带量增大了62.3%,渣-金界面面积最大值增大了13.1%。渣-金界面张力和黏度增大,气泡夹带量和渣-金界面面积均降低。渣-金界面张力从0.65 N/m增大到1.10 N/m,气泡夹带量减小了30.6%,渣-金界面面积最大值减小6.4%。渣层黏度由0.05 Pa·s增大到2.0 Pa·s时,气泡夹带量降低18.4%,渣-金界面面积最大值减小10.2%。     

脉冲进气旋转喷吹技术的水力模拟

在铝合金熔体净化旋转喷吹技术的基础上 ,采用水力模拟实验研究了脉冲进气方式对气泡大小的影响。实验结果表明 :脉冲进气方式有利于产生射流 ,使气泡变小 ,并增加了气泡与熔体接触的比表面积 ,从而改善了除氢的动力学条件 ,有利于提高除氢效果。     

Numerical investigation on flow process of liquid metals in melt delivery nozzle during gas atomization process for fine metal powder production

Based on volume of fluid (VoF) interface capturing method and shear-stress transport (SST) k-ω turbulence model, numerical simulation was performed to reveal the flow mechanism of metal melts in melt delivery nozzle (MDN) during gas atomization (GA) process. The experimental validation indicated that the numerical models could give a reasonable prediction on the melt flow process in the MDN. With the decrease of the MDN inner-diameter, the melt flow resistance increased for both molten aluminum and iron, especially achieving an order of 10² kPa in the case of the MDN inner-diameter ≤1 mm. Based on the conventional GA process, the positive pressure was imposed on the viscous aluminum alloy melt to overcome its flow resistance in the MDN, thus producing powders under different MDN inner-diameters. When the MDN inner-diameter was reduced from 4 to 2 mm, the yield of fine powder (<150 μm) soared from 54.7% to 94.2%. The surface quality of powders has also been improved when using a smaller inner-diameter MDN.     

EFFECT OF INTERPHASE LIFT FORCE ON THE FLUID FLOW IN AN AIR-STIRRED CYLINDRICAL VESSEL

List of symbolsAB Bubble projected areas mZb. The half -- value radius of axial meall velocityCI Constant, 1.44CZ Constant, 1.92CB Constant, 0.1CD Drag coefficientCL Interphase lift force coefficientC3 Constant, 0.5C. Constant, 0.09D Effective phase diffusion coefficient, m'/sdB Bubble diameter, mdo Nozzle diameter, mF Inter -- phase force terms, N/m'FD Inter -- phase drag force, N/m:'FL Inter -- phase lift force, N/m'g Gravitational acceleration, m/s'G The production rate of t…     

碳化硅颗粒增强铝基复合材料的重熔和铸造工艺特征

介绍了SiC颗粒增强铸造铝基复合材料的铸锭重熔、除气和铸造过程的特征。由于颗粒的存在 ,这些工艺过程和普通铝合金有一定的差异。在铸锭重熔时 ,需要控制熔炼温度和对熔体施加搅拌 ,以防止颗粒反应和下沉。普通铝合金采用的熔盐和气体除气工艺不适合于复合熔体的除气精炼 ,而真空除气具有很好的效果。复合熔体具有高的粘度 ,流动性较差 ,在大气自由重力浇注时容易卷入气体而导致铸件气孔缺陷。为了防止铸件缺陷的形成 ,复合材料在大气自由重力浇注下的浇注系统需要设计集气、集渣冒口和阻流口等特殊组元。真空差压浇注工艺大大简化了浇注系统 ,降低了材料消耗 ,同时消除了大气自由重力浇注时容易产生的铸造缺陷。通过该工艺可获得形状复杂、表面光洁、尺寸精确的铝基复合材料精密铸件     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">In-situ</Emphasis> X-ray fluoroscopic observation for motion of bubbles in liquid iron for correction of drag coefficient used in numerical simulation

Rising of Ar bubble in C-saturated liquid iron was investigated in-situ by employing a high power X-Ray fluoroscope (maximum power of 450 kV and 4.5 mA) coupled with a high speed camera. This analysis enabled to track the actual motion of rising bubble in the liquid iron. After post-processing of X-Ray images, size, shape, velocity, and trajectory of the bubble were obtained. The bubbles were found to be not spherical, but ellipsoidal. Their average size could be estimated about 1.1×10^-2 m. The bubbles wobbled during rising and arrived at their terminal velocities within 0.1 sec. The obtained terminal velocities revealed that the governing forces acting on the motion of ellipsoidal bubble were inertia and surface force. This was quite different from that of spherical bubble which was widely used in the assumption for the numerical analysis. As a result, widely applied equation for the drag coefficient (C_D = 24 (1 + 0.15Re^0.687) / Re) is seen to be applicable only for low Re regime, and this was also confirmed by the drag coefficient derived from the present experimental observation. Therefore, it is suggested to use the following equation for the drag coefficient C_D = max [24 (1 + 0.15Re^0.687) / Re, 8Eo / 3(Eo + 4)]. Numerical simulation for the Ar bubble behavior in the three dimensional (3D) continuous casting mold was conducted in order to evaluate the effect of the drag coefficient for the behavior of spherical and ellipsoidal bubbles. The numerical results showed that the increased CD based on ellipsoidal regime affected the entire fluid in the mold.     

铝液微气泡精炼的模拟试验研究

利用气泡计测量的方法研究了熔池内气泡数量、大小和分布及其影响因素，对气液两相区宏观和微观结构进行了研究。测定了在不同喷枪转速和供气量条件下的气泡直径和气体容量。结果表明，气泡频率和含气率在喷头附近分布很高，在其它部位分布是均匀的。在一定供气量条件下，气泡直径随喷枪转速增加而减小。