CFD Simulation of Jet Mixing With Asymmetric Co-Flows in a Down-Scaled Rotary Kiln Model Available to Purchase

Rotary kilns used in the iron pellet production in the grate-kiln pelletizing process normally have two asymmetric secondary air channels. The primary jet is ejected from a burner located in the middle of a back plate. As a consequence of the high flow rates and irregular-shaped secondary air channels, the aerodynamics in the kiln is strongly connected to the combustion and sintering performance. In this work a Computational Fluid Dynamics study is performed on a downscaled, simplified kiln model established in earlier numerical and experimental work. Comparisons are made with the experiment and among three turbulence models, the standard k-ε model, a k-ε model modified for turbulent axisymmetric round jets and Speziale-Sarkar-Garski Reynolds Stress Model (SSG-RSM hereafter). Recirculation regions with negative axial velocity are found at the upper side of the kiln and behind the back plate. Results from the standard k-ε model have the best fit to the experimental data regarding the centerline decay and the jet spreading of the velocity. The spreading rate of the scalar concentration calculated from the results with the modified k-ε model and the SSG-RSM fit better with the experiment, but they both underestimate the centerline decay and the spreading of the velocity. The modified k-ε model yields a more physical and realistic flow field compared to the standard k-ε model, and the results are close to those obtained with the SSG-RSM. Unlike the isotropic development of the jet predicted with the standard k-ε model, the modified k-ε model and the SSG-RSM show different development of the jet in the horizontal and vertical directions.