Prediction of sinter yield and strength in iron ore sintering process by numerical simulation

Sinter yield and strength were predicted by the method of numerical simulation in this study. An unsteady two-dimensional mathematical model for the iron ore sintering process was developed by taking most of the significant physical phenomena and chemical reactions into consideration. By employing FLUENT software and C language programming via custom code, numerical simulation was carried out. A sinter pot test was performed and experimental data reasonably agreed with the numerical results, which validated the model. By analyzing temperature profile and melt fraction, parameters including peak temperature, residence time, cooling rate, melt formation heat and melt fraction were analyzed. Relationship between cooling rate and sinter strength was discussed as well as relationship between melt fraction and the yield of product sinter. Results indicated that sinter strength and yield could be predicted by simulation. The effects of different coke contents and additional heat supplement on sinter strength and yield were discussed. Results showed that increasing coke content improves sinter strength. Lower coke content will lead to increasing of under-melted sinter while higher coke content will lead to increasing of over-melted sinter and decreasing of the yield. Additional heat supplement technology can not only enhance sinter strength, but also promote sinter yield significantly.