Modelling of hydrodynamic phenomena occurring in refining ladles for high-carbon Fe-Si alloys

This paper presents the results of research conducted with the use of water physical model of refining ladle for production of high-carbon FeSi alloys. The purpose of the research was to determine the possibilities to enhance the efficiency of the production process by using combined gas injection into the bath. The research involved analysis of four variants of the experiment. Those variants varied in terms of the location of a purging plug fitted in the model bottom and the application of immersion lance to support the process. The research involved the analysis of changes in the hydrodynamic effects in the ladle model occurring as a result of the gas injection. The tests consisted in a qualitative analysis (process visualisation) in order to identify the movement of the modelling liquid and the mechanism of gas bubbles behaviour in the liquid.