Analysis of electrically induced flows in DC electric arc furnace

Limitations of natural resources and environmental pollution problems have forced people to consider seriously about recycling of materials. As a means of recycling, DC arc furnaces can be used to recycle scrap materials and already some industries have started to use them in small scale production. An in depth understanding of the process involved is essential for optimal design and efficient control. Therefore, in order to have a better understanding of the process, the authors developed a mathematical model and the model equations are numerically solved. Volume of fluid method is used to treat the free surface. Numerical results show that a single vortical region is generated within the melt when the bottom electrode diameter is large. When the bottom electrode diameter is small, two vortical regions are found with opposite rotation. It is also found that the volume of fluid method can give a more detailed picture of the flow near the surface below the top electrode.