Virtual Reality Visualization of CFD Simulation for Iron/Steelmaking Processes

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) has become a powerful simulation technology used in iron/steelmaking industrial applications for process design and optimization to save energy. In this paper, a Virtual Engineering (VE) application is presented that uses Virtual Reality (VR) to visualize CFD results in a tracked immersive projection system. The interactive Virtual Reality (VR) was specifically adapted for CFD post-processing to better understand CFD results and more efficiently communicate with non-CFD experts. The VE application has been utilized to make an assessment in terms of visualization and optimization for steelmaking furnaces. The immersive system makes it possible to gain a quick, intuitive understanding of the flow characteristics and distributions of pressure, temperature, and species properties in the industrial equipment. By introducing the virtual engineering environment, the value of CFD simulations has been greatly enhanced to allow engineers to gain much needed process insights for the design and optimization of industrial processes.