2012 Volume 52 Issue 7 Pages 1241-1249
Performance of the Z-path moving-fluidized bed reactor for gaseous reduction of iron ore fines was numerically investigated. The proposed mathematical model was developed by analyzing the gas-solid transport phenomena and chemical reactions in the reactor. The model was solved by a new solving approach - integration of FLUENT package (V6.3) and PHOENICS (V3.3). Numerical simulation results of cold state were compared with the experimental data and the simulation results including pressure drop per perforated plate, gas flow pattern and solid flow pattern agreed well with the experimental ones. The developed CFD model then conducted some hot state predictions of gaseous reduction of iron ore fines using reformed COG gas and purified COREX export gas in this reactor. Results indicate that under hot state, the performance of the reactor depends on the reducing gas supplied. Pressure drop per perforated plate decreases one by one from the bottom plate to the top plate and some improvements are needed for the perforated plate arrangement in the reactor. For ore fines gaseous reduction, the reactor displays a high utilization efficiency of gas sensible heat and gas reduction potential. The Z-path moving fluidized bed has the advantage that it realizes a gradient utilization of heat and reduction potential of the gas in iron ore fines reduction with a comparatively simple structure. In the cases simulated, the top two plates play a role of preheating the ore fines and the bottom three plates reducing the ore fines. For operation control, the reactor with three inclined perforated plates is reasonable and preheating ore fine may be carried out by other means.
