Heat transfer of calcium cored wires and CFD simulation on flow and mixing efficiency in the argon-stirred ladle

A three-dimensional CFD simulation model of 160-tonne LF ladle based on gas–liquid multiphase flows and k-ε mixture turbulence model was developed on FLUNET platform considering the agitation effect of argon blowing on the mixing performance of gaseous calcium in the liquid steel. Taking the volume fraction of gaseous calcium mixed in the molten steel as the quantified indicator of mixing efficiency, the flow field in the bottom argon-stirred ladle and the influence of cored-wire feeding position, feeding depth, feeding velocity, argon flow on the mixing efficiency were investigated. By utilising the element birth and death technique on MSC.MARC platform, the transient heat transfer between the calcium cored wire and the molten steel was simulated, and the effect of the feeding speed and the wire structure on the evaporation depth of the calcium was presented.