CFD Study on Bottom-Blown Copper Smelting Furnace with Unsymmetric Gas Injection

When focusing on the largest copper oxygen-enriched bottom blowing furnace in China, the problems of uneven melt stirring and gas flow coalescence were studied. An unsymmetric blown was proposed by changing the ratio of gas flow rate and the lance diameter to investigate its effect on gas–matte–slag distribution, velocity distribution, and wall shear stress. The gas coalescence was inhibited by modifying the gas ratio ( γ ) of lances. At γ = 1.2:0.8, the gas inhibition is more obvious than that at γ = 1.1:0.9; average melt velocity ( v a ) in stirring region increased by 11.44%, relative standard deviation (RSD) of melt velocity decreased by 10.82%, and slag content in matte layer decreased. Controlled injection volume ratio causes reduced stress at the edges of the furnace. Changing the diameter ratio of lances to b = 1.1:0.9 showed a 56.71% rise in v a and a 16.27% reduction in RSD, imparting enhanced uniformity in the melt stirring. Therefore, the unsymmetric injection can suppress gas flow and improve the stirring uniformity. Graphical Abstract