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Measurements of bubble plume behaviour and flow velocity in gas stirred liquid Wood's metal with an eccentric nozzle position
Author(s) -
Xie Yongkun,
Oeters Franz
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
steel research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1869-344X
pISSN - 0177-4832
DOI - 10.1002/srin.199401077
Subject(s) - plume , nozzle , mechanics , radius , bubble , flow (mathematics) , chemistry , materials science , thermodynamics , physics , computer security , computer science
The distribution of gas fraction and the flow field of gas‐stirred liquid metal in steel ladles at eccentric injection of the stirring gas through the bottom of the vessel were measured in melts of 437 kg liquid Wood's metal. The melts had a temperature of 100°C. The bath height was 37 cm and the vessel diameter 40 cm. The blowing nozzle was positioned at half of the vessel radius. Gas flow rates were between 100 and 800 cm 3 (STP)/s. The gas fractions were measured by electrical resistance probes. The flow velocity of the liquid metal was determined by magnet‐probes. The gas fraction and the velocity distribution in the plume were found to have a Gaussian shape. The cross‐section of the plume is ellipsoid, as the plume width in the direction of the radius was a little smaller than the width in the direction perpendicular to it. Moreover the plume was inclined to the wall. The results which were found for the plume are mathematically described. The flow field at eccentric gas‐stirring consists of one great loop, which fills almost the entire vessel. This is contrary to centric blowing, where for aspect ratios of the ladle in the order of 1, a toroid is formed in the upper and a dead zone exists in the lower part of the vessel. The consequences of this behaviour, especially for mixing in the melt, are discussed.