Blast furnace load simulation using EDEM

Guilherme Defendi Vale

Anderson Baltazar Vale
Paulo de Freitas Nogueira - Vale
Daniel Schiochet Nasato - ESSS
SUMMARY
Overview - Vale
Introduction
Objectives
Conclusion
Objectives
Use EDEM to predict the material behavior when loading the
blast furnace;
Analyze the voidage distribution in the blast furnace;
Use EDEM to predict compressive forces;
Show potential of EDEM to simulate blast furnaces.
Geometry dynamics
Geometry dynamics:
3 opening (batches)
Linear translation z:
-75mm/s
Total opening time:
10 s per batch
Operating conditions
Informed by Vale:
Batch 1 (Coke):
Coke: 31.2 ton
Coke density (bulk): 500 kg/m
Batch 2 (Metal):
Sinter: 70.59 ton
Pellet: 26.91 ton
Batch 3 (Metal):
Sinter : 31.07 ton
Pellet: 20.93 ton
Metal density (bulk): 2300 kg/m
Calculated by ESSS
Material density (absolute):
Coke: 1250 kg/m
Considering a maximum
packing of 40%
500 kg/m /0.4 =1250 kg/m
Metal: 5750 kg/m
Plate Position
(displacement):
Batch 1: 300mm
Batch 2: 400mm
Batch 3: 200mm
Particle Size
Informed by Vale:
For pellet was used two fixed value from 8mm and 5mm
Pellet Size (mm) 18 8 5
Withheld (%) 0,0 97,96 2,04
Coke Size (mm) 40 37,5 30 25
Withheld (%) 69,2 12,47 14,87 3,46
Sinter Size (mm) 50 25 15 10 5
Withheld (%) 11,77 34,12 26,56 13,92 13,63
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
25 27 29 31 33 35 37 39
COKE
0,00
5,00
10,00
15,00
20,00
25,00
30,00
35,00
40,00
5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50
SINTER
Data calibration Coeff. of Restitution
Experiments were performed at Vale, in order
to obtain correct materials data;
Coefficient of restitution, static and rolling friction
were calibrated at ESSS.
Restitution parameters calibrated based on
free fall test.
Initial Hight (cm) Return Hight (cm) Coeff of Restitution
40 0,400 0,100
40 1,270 0,178
40 1,200 0,173
40 1,000 0,158
40 1,140 0,169
40 1,300 0,180
pellet/pellet
sinter/pellet
sinter/coke
sinter/sinter
coke/pellet
coke/coke
Data calibration Static Friction
Parameters were calibrated based on normal/shear force
test.
y = 0,6574x + 8,4531
y = 0,2222x + 10,054
y = 0,6484x + 43,417
0,00
10,00
20,00
30,00
40,00
50,00
60,00
70,00
0,00 5,00 10,00 15,00 20,00 25,00 30,00 35,00
Shear Force(N)
Normal Force (N)
Sinter Pellet Coke Sinter Pellet Coke
Coke Sinter Pellet Sinter Pellet Coke
9,81 14,24 36,92 12,90 12,54 49,38 13,17
19,62 22,68 45,37 20,46 13,79 56,94 16,28
29,43 27,13 56,50 25,36 16,90 62,10 18,68
Shear Force (N)
Normal
Force (N)
Data calibration Rolling Friction
Based on repose angle, simulations were
performed to reproduce the same angle on
EDEM;
Friction coefficient were adjusted to
reproduce the repose angle.
Parameter coke/coke coke/pellet coke/sinter coke/steel pellet/pellet pellet/sinter pellet/steel sinter/sinter sinter/steel
Coeff. of Restitution 0.18 0.1 0.17 0.3 0.18 0.16 0.3 0.18 0.3
Coeff. of Static Friction 0.58 0.62 0.65 0.5 0.64 0.9 0.5 0.52 0.5
Coeff. of Rolling Friction 0.4 0.35 0.38 0.25 0.25 0.33 0.25 0.35 0.25
Material Repose angle (degree)
Coke 35 to 38
Sinter 29 to 33
Pellet 25 to 26
Simplifications
Due to real model size, it was simulated only a slice of the
real geometry;
Batch 1 (Coke):
Coke: 174.2 Kg
Batch 2 (Metal):
Sinter: 394 Kg
Pellet: 150.2 Kg
Batch 3 (Metal):
Sinter : 173.4 Kg
Pellet: 116.8 Kg
Initial conditions particle creation
It was defined a virtual area in the top of the blast furnace
to create particles.
Particles were created in a dynamic way.
Approximated 500 thousand particles simulated.
Results
Voidage Distribution
Sample points in the material bed voidage distribution
Material Distribution
Coke distribution Metal distribution
Material Distribution
Sinter distribution
Pellet distribution
Compressive Force
Compressive force can be seen in the particle bed
Compressive Force
Compressive force profile similar to coke distribution profile
Coke distribution profile Compressive force profile
Conclusions
EDEM has demonstrated the ability to reproduce real
phenomena from a large and complex model;
A furnace model was simulated in about 160 hours:
More than 500.000 Particles Simulated;
Physical results based on real Physics.
EDEM is able to generate quantitative results for blast
furnaces;
Particle size distribution, compressive force, total force, voidage.