Numerical Evaluation of the Suitability of Thermally Thick Alternative Reducing Agents in the Raceway Zone

Abstract

Alternative reducing agents (ARAs) can be an ecologically attractive substitution for pulverized coal in the blast furnace raceway zone. However, the grinding behavior of ARAs, e.g., biomass, can be different from coal and yield larger particle sizes. It has to be evaluated if larger, thermally thick, particles show a suitable thermochemical conversion behavior for the use as ARAs. Euler-Lagrange simulations are used to evaluate and optimize the thermochemical conversion of larger particles in the raceway zone. A previously developed resolved Lagrangian particle model implemented to OpenFOAM® is used to investigate the internal particle states during injection.