<p>To elucidate the impact of diverse scrap steel types on the preheating efficacy of the steel ladle, and to address the issues of localized overheating within the ladle and non-uniform gas flow distribution, this paper, drawing on prior research centered on ordered stacking, innovatively devises three distinct forms of light, medium, and heavy scrap steel that closely approximate industrial realities, along with corresponding mixed stacking strategies. A three-dimensional numerical model encompassing the precise arrangement of scrap steel is established, eschewing simplified porous media or spherical particle models. Through numerical simulation, pivotal metrics such as the area of the velocity dead zone in the molten iron ladle, the average preheating temperature of the scrap steel, and the gas utilization efficiency are scrutinized. The results indicate that the configuration of various scrap steel types alters the kinetic energy of the gas upon reaching the ladle bottom, thereby affecting the efficiency of scrap steel preheating. As the preheating duration extends from 300 to 1200&#xa0;s, the dead zone volumes for light, medium, and heavy scrap steel arrangements diminish by 7.94 × 10⁻³ m³, 1.13 × 10⁻² m³, and 8.25 × 10⁻³ m³, respectively. Furthermore, the arrangement exerts a more pronounced impact on the temperature distribution inside the ladle. Specifically, in comparison to medium-sized and heavy-duty scrap steel, the time required for lightweight scrap steel to reach a temperature of 873&#xa0;K is shortened by 210&#xa0;s and 737&#xa0;s, respectively. For mixed configurations comprising various scrap steel types, the preheating temperature ascends by roughly 118.7&#xa0;K for every additional 300&#xa0;s, achieving an optimal average of 873&#xa0;K at 1370&#xa0;s. During the 300&#xa0;s preheating phase, lightweight scrap steel demonstrates markedly superior heating efficiency, surpassing medium-sized and heavy-duty variants by 18.4% and 24.6%, respectively.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>