Three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics analysis of an electric submerged arc furnace.

A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method is proposed to analyze the operation of a submerged electric arc furnace (SAF) used in ferronickel production. A three-dimensional mathematical model was used for the time-dependent solution of the fluid flow, heat transfer and electromagnetic phenomena. The slag's physical properties, which play a crucial role in the SAF operation, were previously determined using classical molecular dynamics simulations and empirical relationships.