Experimental cold modelling of hearth drainage was performed at Bluescope Steel Research Laboratories to understand the impact of variable drainage rate on slag removal. These drainage studies were designed to simulate real operational aspects such as: continuous casting, variable tapping rate and inflow liquid distribution. During the analysis of these drainage experiments it was demonstrated that the residual-flowout correlation in use since the 1970??s may possibly be incomplete or inaccurate. The removal of slag from the blast furnace hearth is the greater concern of the two liquids produced in the iron making process. In the 1970??s operational difficulties arose when large volumes of residual slag remained in the furnace after casting. This prompted research related to the flow of viscous liquids through uniformly packed beds providing fundamental insight on the most effective means of removal of slag from the blast furnace hearth. The core subject of this study, the residual-flowout correlation developed by Fukutake and Okabe that is used to predict cast duration and liquid accumulation in the blast furnace hearth is discussed in detail. The residual-flowout correlation is examined for four different sets of conditions based on constant or increasing slag drainage, with and without liquid dripping. The outcome of this study will improve our understanding of the residual-flowout relationship and develop it further, so that drainage conditions whether for constant or increasing drainage rates, with or without dripping, will hold using the one general Fl equation.

Experimental cold modelling of hearth drainage was performed at Bluescope Steel Research Laboratories to understand the impact of variable drainage rate on slag removal. These drainage studies were designed to simulate real operational aspects such as: continuous casting, variable tapping rate and inflow liquid distribution. During the analysis of these drainage experiments it was demonstrated that the residual-flowout correlation in use since the 1970??s may possibly be incomplete or inaccurate. The removal of slag from the blast furnace hearth is the greater concern of the two liquids produced in the iron making process. In the 1970??s operational difficulties arose when large volumes of residual slag remained in the furnace after casting. This prompted research related to the flow of viscous liquids through uniformly packed beds providing fundamental insight on the most effective means of removal of slag from the blast furnace hearth. The core subject of this study, the residual-flowout correlation developed by Fukutake and Okabe that is used to predict cast duration and liquid accumulation in the blast furnace hearth is discussed in detail. The residual-flowout correlation is examined for four different sets of conditions based on constant or increasing slag drainage, with and without liquid dripping. The outcome of this study will improve our understanding of the residual-flowout relationship and develop it further, so that drainage conditions whether for constant or increasing drainage rates, with or without dripping, will hold using the one general Fl equation.