Complex heat transfer in a bath under arcs of high-power arc steel-melting furnaces. Part II. Conversion of radiant arc flows into convection and heat conduction flows in the bath

The electrical, geometric, and thermophysical parameters of the arcs of arc steel-melting furnaces change with a frequency of 50 Hz, i.e., 50 times/s. Under vertical electromagnetic force directed along the electrode axis, the arc squeezes out the liquid metal and slag, forming a depression in the form of a spherical segment in the bath. Under horizontal electromagnetic force directed perpendicular to the arc axis, the arc moves along the electrode and the metal bath at a velocity of 30–100 m/s, capturing and throwing the liquid metal from the spherical segment and slag onto the bath surface far to the slopes. Under Archimedean force, new layers of metal and slag are formed in the spherical segments, and the process of moving layers of metal and slag from the spherical segments at a velocity of 30–100 m/s is repeated 50 times/s. Powerful heat flows of radiation from arc columns in spherical segments in the bath are transformed into powerful convective heat flows during the turbulent movement of metal, slag, and thermal conductivity flows, which heat the entire volume of the bath of metal and slag. The hypothesis of the transformation of heat radiation flows in spherical segments into heat conduction and convective flows during turbulent movement and displacement of liquid metal and slag is verified by experiments and operation of arc steel-smelting furnaces.