| Abstract Scope |
Future iron and steel production relies on electricity, hydrogen, and plasma technologies to enable low-carbon metallurgy. These processes involve complex interactions between electric arcs, plasma, liquid metal, slag, gas bubbles, and chemical reactions that determine energy efficiency and process performance.
This contribution presents multiphysics numerical models of electric arcs and plasma-based metallurgical processes, focusing on iron oxide (FeO) reduction and oxygen transfer between slag, metal, and plasma. The effects of magnetohydrodynamics (MHD), electromagnetic forces, fluid flow, heat transfer, arc stability, metal vapor formation, and slag foaming are investigated.
Applications include electric arc furnaces (EAF), hydrogen-based direct reduced iron (DRI), high-power plasma smelting reduction (HPSR), and emerging plasma technologies. Coupled simulations integrating plasma physics, electromagnetics, multiphase flow, and chemical reactions provide insights into arc efficiency and process optimization. The results demonstrate how advanced modeling supports the development of sustainable metallurgical processes while reducing reliance on costly experimental trials. |