Abstract <p>The rotary copper refining furnace is extensively employed in pyrometallurgical crude copper smelting. This study numerically investigates the non-premixed fuel combustion in an industrial-scale rotary copper refining furnace with the capacity of processing 660t melt, which is currently the largest scale in the world, focusing on the impact of nozzle configuration. After validating the model, the combustion characteristics of methane and the influence of nozzle number on the combustion situation are analyzed, including assessments of the temperature field, velocity field, component concentration, and turbulence distribution. The findings indicate that CH₄ and O₂ at the tail end of the jet stream in the anode furnace fully react, with temperatures exceeding 2800 K and velocities surpassing 150 m/s. The flue gas recirculates along the furnace wall, with the maximum recirculation zone located at the end of the furnace. The multi-nozzle configuration with annular oxygen nozzle settings significantly enhances the combustion performance and gas flow behavior in the anode furnace, with the most notable improvement observed with the use of two oxygen nozzles. However, modifications to the nozzle configuration have a negligible effect on the average turbulent kinetic energy and turbulence intensity within the furnace.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>