Transient CFD Calculation of Accretion Formation in a Copper Waste Heat Boiler

Abstract

The operation of a copper Flash Smelting Furnace (FSF) is often limited by the availability of the downstream Waste Heat Boiler (WHB). Carry-over of concentrate into the boiler leads to accretion formation, which can cause boiler downtime. Hence, the minimization of flue dust and its accretions is an important operational goal. In this study, a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model is used to investigate how three different baffle plate designs influence accretion formation over a period of 24 hours. The predicted dust accretion patterns were compared for all baffle plate modifications, with differences found both in the resulting sedimentation and accretion of dust particles. While the dispersive design led to large, but evenly coated accretion risk zones, a streamlined design minimized their size but led to locally thick accretion layers. Based on these findings, design recommendations for the baffle plate were derived.