Analysis of fluid flow in 1: 2 Physical model scale of reverberatory furnace for molten aluminium refining

This work presents a detailed analysis on cycle and mixing times for a reverberatory furnace 5 t molten aluminium capacity, using physical modelling. Performance of systems with different geometrical design features and different kinds of impellers were studied while determining the velocity of the fluid along the chambers of the furnace. The results of the experiments were compared to the results at industrial level, before and after changes to the geometric design, as well as on the dynamic conditions of processing. The changes in the model consisted of attaching baffles in front of the floodgates in melting chamber and two more in the back corners. These baffles helped to break the flow patterns, while in the stagnant zones, helped to increase fluid flow velocity, reducing cycle and mixing times. From the improvements implemented, better efficiency of reaction between dissolved magnesium in molten aluminium and SiO₂ particles was found.