CIVS Presents Reheating Furnace and Ladle Research at MS&T Technical Meeting
On October 4-7, 2026, CIVS presented two research topics at the Materials Science & Technology (MS&T) Technical Meeting and Exhibition in Pittsburgh, PA. One presentation by CIVS Graduate Research Assistant Priscilla Ndukaife focused on research about CFD modeling of fluid flow, mixing time, and slag-eye formation in an industrial gas-stirred ladle. The other presentation, by Mario H. Ortega, focused on the development and validation of a numerical model to predict oxide scale formation in steel reheating furnaces, comparing the effects of hydrogen-oxygen and methane-oxygen on scale formation and heat transfer.
Priscilla presented “Numerical Simulation of Fluid Flow Behavior and Mixing Analysis in an Oval-Shaped Gas-Stirred Ladle.” Co-authors include CIVS staff and students: Nihal Saji, Nicholas J. Walla, Armin K. Silaen, and Chenn Zhou; as well as industrial collaborator Mark Suer (Cleveland Cliffs). Her presentation covered transient multiphase computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was developed to investigate fluid flow structure and mixing time in an industrial 142-ton oval-shaped gas-stirred ladle. Steel, slag, and air were modeled using the Volume of Fluid (VOF) method, while argon bubbles were modeled using the Discrete Phase Model (DPM). The coupled VOF-DPM model was used to follow plume development, recirculation, and slag-eye formation with time. After the flow field reached quasi-steady state, Species Transport Model was used to track a passive tracer with the same properties as steel. Increasing the gas flow rate from 5 to 15 SCFM strengthened recirculation, increased the slag-eye area from 0.253 to 0.650 m², and reduced mixing time from 180–240 s to 138–174 s. Two tracer addition configurations were evaluated, and mixing time depended on tracer location, with the distributed addition reaching the 95% mixing criterion earlier than the single addition.
Mario presented “Oxide Scale Evolution and Characterization of Oxide Scale Under Methane and Hydrogen Atmospheres with Oxygen Enrichment During Reheating Operations” co-authored by PNW staff: Nicholas J. Walla, Armin K. Silaen, and Chenn Zhou; along with industrial collaborators Bernard Chukwulebe, Oscar Lanzi, and Yong Lee (ArcelorMittal Global R&D). He presented a numerical model for high-temperature oxidation during steel reheating under different combustion atmospheres. The model was developed and validated using experimental measurements of oxide scale thickness and the oxide composition. Scale thickness is measured by optical tools and SEM, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) quantifies the oxide phase fractions formed in scale formed under methane-oxygen and hydrogen-oxygen conditions. These measured phase fractions are incorporated into the kinetic framework to convert mass-based oxidation rates into thickness-growth parameters, enabling time-resolved predictions of scale evolution. Model predictions are compared directly with thickness measurements and show good agreement for two steel grades in both atmospheres. Results demonstrate that hydrogen-oxygen environments promote higher scale formation and increased thermal resistance when compared to methane-oxygen operations. The approach establishes a direct link between oxide scale composition, growth kinetics, and heat transfer, providing a pathway for improved predictive capability in reheating furnace operations.
The Materials Science & Technology (MS&T) technical meeting and exhibition series is a long-standing, recognized forum for fostering technical innovation at the intersection of materials science, engineering, and application. At MS&T, you can learn from those who are on the cutting edge of their disciplines, share your work with the leading minds in your field, and build the valuable cross-disciplinary collaborations unique to this conference series. (https://www.matscitech.org/MST26/MST26/Default.aspx)