An experimental study on RH vacuum chamber with a weir

A new Ruhrstahl–Heraeus (RH) equipment with a weir added to the vacuum chamber was designed to help improve refining efficiency of low-carbon steel production. The flow characteristics of the new RH equipment and a traditional RH equipment were evaluated and compared through water modeling experiments and an optimized calculation model. In the water experiments, the mixing time, the residence time and the circulation flow rates were measured, and the flow simulating molten steel in the vacuum was photographed. The results show that the decarburization efficiency in the new RH equipment is much improved. The mixing time is equal to or less than that of the latter when the gas flow rate is higher than 2.33 m 3 /h. The proportion of the piston flow increases by at least 40%, and the proportion of the well-mixed flow decreases from greater than 40% to less than 20%. The effective flow rate of the new RH equipment increases greatly in the piston flow zone and the total lag flow zone based on the residence time distribution experiment. In conclusion, when a weir is added to a RH vacuum chamber, the effective circulation flow increases significantly, and the decarburization rate K C of molten steel at low-carbon stage is improved.