The investigation of the thermal performance of the graphitized hollow electrode in the "ladle-furnace" with the supply of neutral gas

The article presents an analysis of heat transfer efficiency from an electric arc discharge formed in the sub-electrode zone to a metal bath under different operating conditions of the “ladle-furnace” (LF). A numerical modeling methodology has been developed, and the obtained data have been analyzed to determine the heat transfer efficiency with the supply of neutral gas through a graphitized hollow electrode (GHE). The objective of this study is the numerical modeling of the influence of changing the geometric parameters of the metal bath cavity formed by gas injection through the channel of the graphitized hollow electrode on the heat transfer efficiency from the electric arc to the metal bath at different thickness of the slag cover in the “ladle-furnace”. Research methods. Numerical modeling of the heating of the metal bath was performed on a developed 3D model of a steel ladle with liquid metal and a cavity zone formed under the action of an electric arc and gas supplied through the channel of the graphitized hollow electrode. Heating was conducted under different geometric parameters of the cavity and varying heights of the slag cover. The obtained data were analyzed, indicating the advantage of using the graphitized hollow electrode with gas supply through its channel compared to a conventional electrode. Results obtained. The share of heat absorbed by the slag and metal under the conditions of using a conventional electrode and a hollow electrode with gas supply through its channel was determined. The influence of the parameters of the reaction zone formed under the GHE on the heat transfer from the electric arc to the metal bath was determined, with maximum temperature increase values of the metal amounting to 0.6 ºC/min. Scientific novelty. New data were obtained regarding the influence of neutral gas supply through GHE on the amount of heat transferred to the metal by convection, and indicators of the heat flux density from the electric arc to the metal cavity in the sub-electrode zone were determined. Practical significance. It was determined that increasing the area of the metal cavity by supplying gas through the GHE channel improves the heat transfer from the electric arc to the metal bath. Meanwhile, increasing the thickness of the slag cover reduces heat losses to the furnace atmosphere. The carried out research provided important data regarding the thermal performance of the "ladle-furnace" in the sub-electrode zone, which can be further utilized for process optimization.