In connection with the Industry 4.0 initiative, tools for process simulation and process optimization are recently gaining in importance. In the context of metallurgy, its digitalization will work as an enabler of the „circular economy“ [1], by a combination of fundamentally-based process models, artificial intelligence, big data approaches and last by not least, guided by the practical experiences of the operators and process engineers.
Simusage is a tool based on ChemApp consisting of a set of Delphi (or Lazarus) components for process simulation tasks. The model concept behind Simusage is based on a flowsheeting approach in combination with the connected local equilibrium reactors method, also called effective equilibrium reaction zone model (EERZ). We have recently made available on-line a set of over 10 Simusage example projects that show how Simusage works. With the examples, one can see both at design and at run-time how to utilize the various unit operations and streams which are provided with Simusage. Among other features, one can learn how Reactors, Phase Splitters, Fraction Splitters and Iterators may be created, set up and operated. All of this is now freely available in GitHub under the following repository:
https://github.com/GTT-Technologies/SimuSage-Examples
Please notice that you need a valid Simusage installation to work on the models in development mode. You may, however, run the examples in demonstration mode, by using the light version of SimuSage which is provided with the released files in the Github repository.
By the way, quite recently two relevant models showing applications of Simusage in the area of process metallurgy were published in Metallurgical Transactions B.
In the first one, Sagadin et al. [2] describe a sophisticated Simusage model for the corrosion of refractories by slags utilized in the smelting of ferronickel. The model takes into account the penetration of the slag through the pores of the refractory wall and the temperature gradient along a direction perpendicular to the slag/refractory interface. The model results showed an excellent agreement with experiments concerning the dissolution behavior of the refractory and the phases which formed as a result of the reactions taking place.
In the second paper, Ramos et al. [3] developed an impressive model which describes how the steel melt present in the tundish may be reoxidised during a casting sequence of a continuous caster. This will lead to inclusions modifications which may be deleterious, both concerning the process stability and the strand quality characteristics. The model proved to be able to predict the composition of the inclusions over time much better than previous similar models, especially in what concerns the CaS content of the inclusions.
If you have further questions about thermochemically-based process modelling and Simusage, please feel free to contact us!
[1] Reuter MA (2016) Digitalizing the Circular Economy. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B 47: 3194-3220.
[2] Sagadin C, Luidold S, Wagner C, Pichler C, Kreuzer D, Spanring A, Antrekowitsch H, Clarke A, Clarke K (2021) Thermodynamic Refractory Corrosion Model for Ferronickel Manufacturing. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B 52: 1052-1060.
[3] Ramos SV, Cisquini P, Oliveira JR, Silva AL, Bagatini MC (2021) Description of a New Compartment Model for the Prediction of Inclusions Modification in Tundishes. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11663-021-02298-0