A Phenomenological Mathematical Model to Predict the Bosh Silicon Transport Under the Influence of Liquid Hold-up in the Dripping Zone of an Operating Blast Furnace

A phenomenological mathematical model has been developed to characterize the effect of total liquid hold-up on the bosh silicon distribution behaviour in the dripping zone of the blast furnace. Liquid hold-up analysis has been carried out using established correlations. Two specific cases of hold-up behaviour has been investigated namely, hold-up in the absence of counter current gas and in the presence of counter current gas flow. This incorporates multi-physics nature of the phenomena involving heat and mass transfer, chemical kinetics and dynamics of liquid hold-up in the dripping zone. The present investigation shows that the bosh silicon level diminishes with the enhanced liquid hold-up in the dripping zone. Further, the influence of counter current gas flow on the hold-up is not very significant; however, it has an inverse relationship with the bosh-silicon pick-up under steady state operating conditions. The model predictions (bulk values) have been validated with the published literature and found to be in good agreement.