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Top-submerged lancing(TSL) technology is the core component of the Ausmelt furnace, and the swirl characteristics generated within the lance directly determine the efficiency of molten bath agitation, energy consumption, and environmental performance of the entire smelting process. However, conventional top-blown lances often suffer from uneven local temperature distribution in the bath, severe slag splashing, and short service life, which significantly limit the smelting efficiency and increase operational costs. To address these issues, this study combines computational fluid dynamics(CFD) numerical simulation with industrial retrofitting case studies to establish a three-dimensional, steady-state, compressible flow model. The Shear Stress Transport(SST) k-ω turbulence model was employed to accurately capture the complex flow phenomena inside the lance. The generation, propagation, and decay characteristics of swirl flow within the lance were systematically analyzed, and the regulation mechanism of swirl intensity was thoroughly investigated. Special attention was paid to the influence of two key structural parameters of the swirl generator, namely, the vane angle and the inclination angle of the outlet relative to the horizontal plane, on the internal flow field characteristics. The simulation results reveal that, after structural optimization, the total gas velocity inside the lance increases significantly, and the swirl characteristics are markedly enhanced. The axial velocity component becomes larger and more uniformly distributed, endowing the gas jet with greater kinetic energy. At the lance outlet, the total velocity reaches a maximum of 225 m/s, while the tangential velocity component ranges from a minimum of approximately 85 m/s to a maximum of 150 m/s, depending on the axial position within the mixing zone. As the depth of the mixing zone increases, the tangential velocity gradually decays, and its radial distribution becomes narrower. Notably, the optimized lance maintains a tangential velocity of about 50 m/s at the outlet, whereas the original lance only retains approximately 40 m/s. Increasing the vane angle effectively enhances the tangential velocity component and reduces energy dissipation along the lance length. Furthermore, the improved linear velocity distribution at the outlet significantly optimizes the agitation effect within the molten bath, promoting more uniform mixing of the multi-phase system. The results of the research conducted in a commercial Ausmelt furnace demonstrate that the optimized lance design substantially improves gas injection performance, enhances molten bath agitation, and promotes homogenization of the multiphase flow. Consequently, the smelting cycle time is shortened by 12%, the specific energy consumption is reduced by 8%, and the dust emission in the off-gas is decreased by 15%. These improvements not only contribute to higher productivity and lower operational costs but also support the green transformation of the non-ferrous metallurgical industry by reducing environmental emissions. The findings of this study provide both theoretical insights and practical engineering guidance for the development of high-efficiency, low-energy-consumption, and environmentally friendly smelting technologies.
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Basic Information:
DOI：10.20237/j.issn.1007-7545.2026.01.005
China Classification Code:TF806
Citation Information:
[1]PENG Ming,LE Ansheng,ZHANG Xiao ,et al.Study on the Swirling Characteristics of Top-Blown Lance in an Ausmelt Furnace[J].Nonferrous Metals(Extractive Metallurgy),2026(01):37-50.DOI:10.20237/j.issn.1007-7545.2026.01.005.
Fund Information:
中国有色集团科技专项(No.2023KJZX028); 国家自然科学基金青年基金资助项目(22008027)~~
2025-09-05
2025
2025-10-09
2025
1
2026-01-02
2026-01-02