有色设备

This paper conducts a numerical simulation study on the melting process of a dual-electrode DC nickel-iron electric furnace, aiming to explore the coupling laws of multiphysical fields inside the furnace and provide a theoretical basis for optimizing the production of nickel-iron electric furnaces. The study employs a three-dimensional transient multiphysical field model and uses the finite volume method to simulate the distribution of electric field, thermal field, and Joule heat during the melting process of the electric furnace. User-defined functions (UDF) are utilized to incorporate source terms such as electromagnetic force and Joule heat into the momentum conservation equation and energy conservation equation. Additionally, complex physical phenomena in the arc zone and molten pool zone, such as electrothermal conversion, electromagnetic induction, and magnetic field disturbance, are taken into account.The simulation results show that the current flows from the electrodes, forming distinct current paths between the electrodes and the furnace bottom, between the electrodes themselves, and between the electrodes and the furnace side walls. As the melting time increases, Joule heat accumulates near the arc, causing the furnace temperature to rise continuously and resulting in a pronounced proximity effect. After 40 minutes of melting, the maximum value of Joule heat is 3.07×108W/m3, and the highest temperature is 5182K; by 50 minutes, the maximum value of Joule heat increases to 3.45×108W/m3, and the highest temperature rises to 5379K. Furthermore, as the applied voltage increases, a crucible zone with higher temperature gradually forms below the electrodes. The highest temperature in the arc zone increases from 4853K to 5833K, and the peak temperature of the molten pool rises from 1891K to 2026K. This indicates that increasing the applied voltage helps to raise the overall temperature of the ore zone, thereby enhancing the melting efficiency.