Original Article

Numerical simulation of gas-solid heat and mass transfer behavior in the full oxygen hydrogen-rich reduction melting furnace

¹ Key Laboratory of Ecological Metallurgy of Multi-metal Intergrown Ores of Ministry of Education, Northeastern University, Shenyang, 110819, PR China
² HBIS Group Co., Ltd., Shijiazhuang 050023, PR China

^* e-mail: xingrifeng2021@163.com

Received: 22 January 2025
Accepted: 6 June 2025

Abstract

The traditional blast furnace ironmaking faces many problems, such as high energy consumption, large emissions, and serious pollution. In order to achieve green and low-carbon ironmaking, a full oxygen hydrogen-rich reduction melting furnace process has been proposed by HBIS and Northeastern University. The melting furnace is divided into three main functional zones: the indirect reduction zone, the softening and dripping zone, and the coke combustion zone. Based on the mass and heat conservation equations of the gas-solid phase, a one-dimensional kinetic model of the full oxygen hydrogen-rich reduction melting furnace was established to study the mass and heat transfer phenomena between the gas and solid phases in the furnace. The results show that the metallization rate of the iron-containing burdens in the indirect reduction zone can reach more than 85%. Then the iron-containing burdens are directly reduced, heated, and melted in the softening and dripping zone. Compared with the traditional blast furnace, this process can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by at least 38%.