Cold Model Experiment to Simulate the Melting Process of Recycled Steel for a Converter Using Ice Water Mixture

To study the melting process of recycled steel in converter bath and explore its influence mechanism on improving the smelting efficiency of converter, a cold model experiment of melting process of recycled steel is performed. The effect of size, shape, and ratio of recycled steel as well as top- and bottom-blowing stirring on the melting behavior of ice cubes and mixing process of bath is researched. In the results, it is shown that as the ice ratio increases from 5% to 20%, the final stable temperature of water bath gradually decreases from 19.0 to 2.3 °C, the time for total melting of ice cubes and mixing time of bath increase from 913 and 135 s to 2856 and 325 s, respectively. With increasing ice size from 20 × 20 × 20 to 45 × 45 × 45 mm³, the time for total melting of ice cubes and mixing time of bath gradually increase from 1205 and 105 s to 1523 and 163 s, respectively. The time for total melting of ice cubes and mixing time of bath gradually reduce with the increase in top- and bottom-blowing flow. In addition, the relationship between weight and specific surface area of recycled steel with scrap ratio is obtained.