Slag flow

In the minerals processing industry, slag refers to a waste material that is produced when certain types of ore are melted or smelted to extract the desired metal. Slag is composed of the impurities and non-metallic by-products that are separated from the metal during the smelting process. High temperature by-products, such as slag, require careful treatment to ensure both efficient and safe operations. In the case study shown here Synergetics was requested to optimise the design of a splash cover and housing for a slag drop box using CFD.

Figure 1: CFD prediction of velocity magnitude with one of the tested drop box configurations.

The drop box needed to ensure a clean flow of slag with minimal pressure drop across the system. High pressure drops would either reduce flow rates, or increase energy costs. Simulations were performed for a multitude of different drop box designs and the pressure drops were compared to find the best choice and minimise the client’s operating expenses.

For more mineral and minerals CFD see our sector page.