Aplicação de técnicas de fluidodinâmica computacional (CFD) em fornos para a produção de anodos de carbono.

Abstract

The quality of the anode used in the aluminum industry depends strongly on the baking process. In general, it is desirable to achieve a more uniform temperature inside the anode during the heating process, combined with lower soaking time and energy consumption. The heating of those anodes in the baking stage is accomplished in an indirect way in wrapped up wells for difficult bricks and covered by coke of petroleum (for protection against oxidation), where in the adjacent section combustion chambers exist, that are formed by channels of passage of warm gasses that supply the necessary heat for the heating of the anodes in the wells. This heat depends on variables as pressure, flow of air, amount of fuel injected inside of the furnaces and geometry of the well. The main objective of this study is to present a computational model able to predict the temperature distribution based on the parameters that play a role in the baking process, such as, coupled fluid flow and transient heat transfer, burning of volatiles, fuel combustion, radiation and control system. The simulations were done using the commercial CFD CFX10 from ANSYS. This model can be used as a powerful tool in the development of new furnaces and retrofitting existing ones.