Segregation behavior of particles in a top hopper of a blast furnace

The particle segregation in the hopper located above the bell-less top charging equipment is a factor that affects the radial size distribution in the blast furnace, and as the burden distribution determines the gas distribution it has implications for the whole furnace operation. The effect of four different particle shapes on the in-bin and discharge segregation of particles in the hopper was studied by the discrete element method. The calculated results were validated by comparing them with experimental results on coke segregation reported in the literature. It was found that the behavior of spherical particles showed the closest correspondence with the experimental results for large- and small-size coke segregation along the radial direction. The results of the study indicated that particle shapes have little effect on the simulated size segregation but, indeed, an effect on the continuity of the flow, and that spherical particles can be used to estimate the segregation of coke particles during hopper charging and discharging.