Experimental and Theoretical Study on Mixing Performance in Gas-Stirred Ladles With Throughflow Having Tap-Stream Addition of Particulates

An experimental study is performed to determine mixing performance in gas-ladles with throughflow having tap-addition of particles. Behavior of ascending gas bubbles in the plume and recirculating liquid-particle two-phase flow is visualized by means of direct photography aided by white light-sheet illumination. The path line profile and the history of ascending velocity of gas bubbles from the gas-injection nozzle installed at the ladle bottom are measured with the aid of the image processing method. It is disclosed that a rhythm is discovered in bubble detachment from the nozzle tip. This rhythm repeats by cycle and is characterized by two distinct patterns, forming the discrete bubbles regime and continuous jet regime for lower and higher air injection rates, respectively. Inspective of air injection rate, the growth of each bubble can be divided into the initial, intermediate, and final stages. Each stage has its own distinct bubble growth velocity, path line profile, and ascending velocity. The theoretical equation is derived to correlate experimental data on bubble path line.