Numerical simulation for heat transfer behavior of copper slag ladle under air-cooling mechanism

Copper slag ladle cooling process is divided into two stages: air-cooling and water-cooling, is one of the important processes in copper production process from copper slag flotation recovery of valuable metals. This study investigates the transient heat transfer behavior of copper slag ladle during air-cooling mechanism based on the finite-volume method. The innovative aspect of this research lies in development of a 1:1 scale 3D model of slag ladle based on industrial-scale dimensions, obtaining the relevant thermophysical parameters of copper slag by experiment, and validating simulation results against actual industrial production data. The results of study show that: (i) The temperature distribution of copper slag within slag ladle exhibits a “concentric circle” pattern with the formation of a “liquid core” zone, indicating that the temperature is significantly higher in central region compared to periphery, revealing a notable temperature gradient during the air-cooling process; (ii) The heat flux is most concentrated in the central region of slag ladle, suggesting that the heat transfer intensity is the greatest in this area, the temperature variation of copper slag in proximity to this region is the most pronounced; (iii) The cooling path of copper slag proceeds from outer layers to inner layers, with the cooling rate decreasing from fast to slow, reflecting the temperature change trend of copper slag during air-cooling, which transitions from rapid to gradual cooling. This study provides new perspectives and data support for exploring air-cooling process of copper slag ladle and contributes to the further advancement of this field.