Numerical investigation of waste plastic: Injection in a blast furnace

In the present study, waste plastic injection in blast furnace processes is investigated numerically. A mathematical model developed in this study describes turbulent flows, heat and mass transfer, chemical reactions in gas, particle and coke-bed phases, and particle trajectories. In the simulation, pulverized particles of coal or plastics are injected into a blowpipe with a nitrogen gas stream, and are then supplied to the raceway region in the coke particle bed. The difference in the gasification behaviors between coal and plastic particles are discussed. The effects of the diameter of plastic particles on the gasification behavior are also investigated. Coal particles are rapidly gasified in the blowpipe because of their small size. In contrast, the gasification of plastic particles rarely occurs in the blowpipe, even if small plastic particles are injected. In addition, the flows of plastic particles are biased in the blowpipe, and consequently the reaction zone of gasification is narrow. In the raceway of the coke bed, the pulverized coal particles exit the raceway due to their small diameter, and are then discharged from the coke bed without sufficient gasification. On the other hand, the plastic particles circulate in the raceway until the diameters thereof decrease below a critical diameter. As a result, since the gasification reaction progresses during the circulation, the combustion efficiency of plastic particles remains high even though the initial diameter of the plastic particles is large.