Possibilities of 3D model application in the process of aluminium refining in the unit with rotary impeller

Both primary and secondary aluminium have to be refined, especially by barbotage process. To know better the mechanism of blowing argon through aluminium in reactors with rotary impellers, numerical modelling is applied. It allows to obtain useful information like: the level of velocity field or participation of gaseous phase. However, numerical analysis requires choosing the proper model which would describe the physical phenomena occurring in the process. So, AnsysFluent code was used in the research. It allows to calculate the two-phase liquid flow for the 2D and 3D co-ordinate systems. Results of calculations for the 3D case can describe more accurately the spatial picture of the movement trajectory of the blown gas bubbles. Calculations were done for the flow rate of refining gas equal 5 dm³/min and for two cases: when there was no rotation and with 300 rpm rotary impeller speed.