Computer/Mathematical Modelling in Materials Processing Operations

Abstract

Many materials processing operations involve flow of gases and/or melt under varying thermal conditions. The fluid flow and associated thermal conditions invariably have a pronounced effect on the reactor performance. Computer/mathematical modeling of fluid flow, and associated heat and mass transfer in such operations has provided useful insight in these processes and has been utilized in process optimization and design of such reactors. The modeling involves solution of the governing equations of fluid flow, heat and mass transfer with appropriate boundary conditions. which is generally obtained numerically. The system conditions can be treated as steady or unsteady state, and the flow can be laminar or turbulent. In this paper, examples involving flow of molten steel in processing vessels such as ladles and tundishes. and the gas flow and associated deposition in a Chemical Vapor Deposition system are presented. The role of such modeling in reactor design and optimization has also been discussed.