Numerical Simulation on Combustion Process and Optimization of Structure for the Reclaimed Copper Reverberatory Furnace

Some problems, such as high energy consumption, short life and high frequency maintenance, exist in reverberatory furnace which is the key equipment for production of reclaimed copper. Measurement data for energy balance indicate the major reasons are incomplete combustion and too high temperature at some location. In this paper, the coupling numerical simulation on fluid flow, heat transfer and combustion process in a prototype of reverberatory furnace is performed based on FLUENT software, and the boundary conditions result from the comprehensive thermal measurement. The simulating results are verified via measuring data from operating furnace. In terms of the analysis of velocity and temperature field, it is found that the location of burner is not reasonable. A series of simulations have been conducted to maximize the furnace performance. The major parameters investigated include burner construction and installation location. The simulation results assist in understanding the critical factors which affects the production index, thus providing insight into furnace optimization.