Simulation of burden distribution and charging in an ironmaking blast furnace

The changing of solid particulate matter in the ironmaking blast furnace is studied in the paper using modeling and experiments in small scale. A small-scale charging rig is used to study the layer formation when coke and pellets are charged using a bell-less charging equipment. The modeling involved the use of a simplified geometric model as well as discrete element modeling (DEM). In DEM, both spherical and non-spherical (clumped particles) models were used to describe the coke, while for pellets a spherical model was used. The results from the different models are compared to the experimental findings, and conclusions concerning the appropriateness of the models are drawn. Finally, a challenging phenomenon, i.e., the coke push effect, where lighter coke on the burden surface is shifted by charging of the heavier pellets is discussed and some simulation results for the full-scale problem are presented.