Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling and Simulation in Material Processing and Metallurgy

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Chemical Processes and Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 March 2026 | Viewed by 620

Special Issue Editors

School of Metallurgy, Northeastern University, Shenyang, China
Interests: CFD; multiphase flow; steelmaking; refining

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Guest Editor
School of Metallurgical and Ecological Engineering, University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Interests: CFD; multiphase flow; steelmaking; refining

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Metallurgical engineering underpins national industrial infrastructure, providing essential materials for critical sectors including automotive, shipbuilding, aerospace, energy, and heavy machinery. With steel and non-ferrous production being major GDP contributors, optimizing these energy-intensive processes is vital for resource efficiency, product quality, and environmental compliance. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) now enables transformative decoding of complex transport phenomena—from multiphase flows to reaction kinetics—governing yield, defect formation, and energy consumption.

This Special Issue ”Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling and Simulation in Material Processing and Metallurgy” seeks to publish research advances where modeling and simulation are integral to systems analysis of steelmaking, non-ferrous smelting, and casting processes. We also solicit high-impact studies on novel CFD methodologies and their industrial applications in addressing critical challenges within steel manufacturing and related fields.

Topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  1. Steelmaking and Refining: BOF/EAF operations, ladle/tundish metallurgy (gas stirring, desulfurization) and inclusion behavior control.
  2. Non-Ferrous Processing: Aluminum/copper electrolysis, anode furnace dynamics and impurity segregation.
  3. Emerging Techniques: AI/ML-accelerated simulations, LES/DES turbulence modeling and multiphase flows (VOF, DEM-CFD).
  4. Simulation techniques, software, algorithms, or other tools for modeling and simulation.

Dr. Wentao Lou
Dr. Hongliang Zhao
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • CFD
  • simulation
  • multiphase flow
  • steelmaking
  • continuous casting
  • design

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

30 pages, 6352 KB  
Review
Research Progress on Numerical Simulation Methods for Metallurgical Fluidization
by Langfeng Fan, Mingzhuang Xie, Hongliang Zhao, Rongbin Li, Zhenglin Zhang and Fengqin Liu
Processes 2026, 14(3), 555; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr14030555 - 5 Feb 2026
Viewed by 384
Abstract
Numerical simulation has become a powerful and versatile toolkit for investigating gas–solid flow behavior in metallurgical fluidization processes. This review summarizes recent advances in the application of computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-based approaches, particularly the Eulerian–Eulerian and Eulerian–Lagrangian methods, within the field of metallurgical [...] Read more.
Numerical simulation has become a powerful and versatile toolkit for investigating gas–solid flow behavior in metallurgical fluidization processes. This review summarizes recent advances in the application of computational fluid dynamics (CFD)-based approaches, particularly the Eulerian–Eulerian and Eulerian–Lagrangian methods, within the field of metallurgical fluidization. It covers model development, particle and bubble dynamics, reactor flow field analysis, and structural optimization. The study demonstrates that numerical simulation plays a crucial role in elucidating fluidization mechanisms, optimizing process parameters, and guiding reactor design. For example, numerical simulation provides key quantitative insights, such as the enhancement of iron ore reduction rates by up to 40% with increased gas velocity and the optimization of reactor cone angles to 5–10° for improved stability, in the design of hydrogen-based iron oxide reduction reactors. However, this review identifies that current research is predominantly focused on iron ore reduction, while numerical studies on fluidized-bed smelting of non-ferrous metals, such as zinc, copper, and aluminum, remain relatively limited. Future efforts should aim to broaden the application of numerical simulation in non-ferrous metallurgy, develop efficient multi-scale coupled computational methods, and integrate artificial intelligence technologies to advance metallurgical fluidization toward greater efficiency, energy savings, and intelligent operation. Full article
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