NUMERICAL SIMULATION OF THE BAKING OF POROUS ANODE CARBON IN A VERTICAL FLUE RING FURNACE

Abstract

The interaction of pitch pyrolysis in porous anode carbon during heating and volatile combustion in the flue gas channel has been analyzed to gain insight in the anode baking process. A two-dimensional geometry of a flue gas channel adjacent to a porous flue gas wall, packing coke, and an anode was used for studying the effect of heating rate on temperature gradients and internal gas pressure in the anodes. The mathematical model included porous heat and mass transfer, pitch pyrolysis, combustion of volatiles, radiation, and turbulent channel flow. The mathematical model was developed through source code modification of the computational fluid dynamics code FLUENT. The model was useful for studying the effects of heating rate, geometry, and anode properties.