Study on Numerical Simulation of Blast Furnace Injection of Low-Rank Coal by Hydrothermal Carbonization

This study carried out a detailed investigation into the potential application of hydrothermally treated bituminous coal (hydrochar) as an injectant in blast furnace (BF) ironmaking. A tuyere model was constructed through simulation methods, and the influence of hydrochar injection on the thermal conditions within the BF hearth was also thoroughly analyzed. The results show that the gas flow velocity at the lower part of the tuyere of hydrochar injection increases, and the residual carbon mass fraction of the tuyere decreases. As the oxygen-enriched concentration increases, the CO concentration decreases. The CO concentration in the swirl zone after hydrochar injection is the highest, reaching 43.93%. The distributions of CO and CO2 exhibit opposite tendencies. Following hydrochar injection, a marked rise in temperature is observed. At an oxygen enrichment level of 30%, the tuyere zone temperature associated with hydrochar injection peaks, surpassing 2700 K. The corresponding pulverized coal burnout rate is also the highest. Thus, the injection of hydrochar has a positive impact on the air flow and temperature field, which can effectively maintain the heat balance and is conducive to strengthening BF smelting.