Kettle and furnace dynamics:what advanced simulation is

revealing about the heart of ourplant.

BY MARIO UBIALI

WHY…..

• FIVE YEARS INTO DATACOLLECTION ON KETTLECORROSION.

• NEED TO BETTERUNDERSTANDCORROSION DYNAMICS.

• DISCOVERING THAT ONETHING LEADS TOANOTHER: THE ROLE OFHEAT EFFICIENCY.

….. AND HOW

• COLLECT REAL DATA FROM ANOPERATIONAL PLANT.

• LOOK AT BOTH FLAT FLAME AND ENDFIRED.

• COMBINE DATA FROM THE FURNACEWITH CORROSION MAPS.

• USE A POWERFUL SIMULATION TOOL.

PROJECT ATLAS

• STARTED ON JANUARY 2011.• RUN AT ONE OF THE MOST

ADVANCED SIMULATIONFACILITIES IN NORTHAMERICA.

• BASED ON 20+ YEARS OFWORK IN CONTINUOSGALVANIZING.

• STILL IN PHASE 1 (FLATFLAME).

THE INDUSTRIAL PARTNER

• GIMECO FLAT FLAME FURNACE.• KETTLE IS 43 FT BY 7 FT BY 11 FT.• 8 FLAT FLAME BURNERS PER SIDE,

STAGGERED.• KETTLE IN OPERATION SINCE

2005.• AVERAGE THROUGHPUT IS

CURRENTLY 52 MILLION POUNDSA YEAR.

OBSERVATION NO.1 : THEBATH IS A VERY COMPLEX

AND DYNAMIC SYSTEM.

t = 1hour 24 min

Hot

Hot

t = 1hour

Cold

Hot

OBSERVATION NO.2 : HEATTRANSFER IS MORE

COMPLICATED THAN ONETHINKS.

Kettle temperature Zinc temperature Zinc velocity

With cover No cover

Temperature distribution on the inside of the kettle wall

Scale is different for thetwo images

OBSERVATION NO.3 :TEMPERATURE GRADIENT

THROUGH THE KETTLEWALL IS NOT CONSTANT.

OBSERVATION NO.4 : ZINCFLOWS ARE A SIGNIFICANT

FACTOR IN KETTLECORROSION.

With cover No coverVelocity distribution inside the kettle

Scale is different for thetwo images

SOME PRELIMINARYCONCLUSIONS.

• ADVANCED SIMULATION ISHELPING REACHING A VERYDETAILED AND VALIDATEDEXPLANATION FOR KETTLECORROSION.

• GOOD VALIDATIONS MEANSTHAT THE FUTURE GOAL ISADVANCED CORROSIONSIMULATION CAPABILITIES.

SOME PRELIMINARYCONCLUSIONS.

• KNOWING ABOUT KETTLECORROSION MEANSKNOWING A GREAT DEALABOUT HEATINGDYNAMICS.

• OPTIMIZING HEATMANAGEMENT HAS A WIDESCOPE OF IMPLICATIONS.

• KNOWLEDGE MAKES ADIFFERENCE.

THANK YOU!