GPU-accelerated CFD-DEM modeling of gas-solid flow with complex geometry and an application to raceway dynamics in industry-scale blast furnaces

The coupling of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Discrete Element Model (DEM) is a powerful tool for simulating dense particulate systems, yet the conventional CFD-DEM has limits for systems with large particle numbers and complex geometry. This paper reports a novel GPU-based CFD-DEM model to simulate the gas–solid flow with large particle numbers and complex geometry. A novel coupling strategy between the CFD solver and DEM solver is developed, featuring high efficiency and stability. The developed model is validated against the experimental measurements, and its efficiency is compared to the previous CFD-DEM simulations. Then, for demonstration, the model is employed to simulate the dynamic behavior of gas–solid flow in the raceway in ironmaking blast furnaces by considering complex tuyere structure details and the huge particle numbers involved. This model allows to study the effect of the tuyere angle in terms of raceway formulation and tuyere erosion. The results show that the largest and most stable raceway volume can be reached at 5° downward tuyere, although the −5° tuyere nose experiences more wear than 10° downward tuyere. The model provides a cost-effective tool to overcome the longstanding challenge of simulating dense fluid-particle systems with huge particle numbers and complex geometry.