功率超声在冶金中的数值模拟研究进展

Progress in numerical simulation of power ultrasound in metallurgy

  • 摘要: 功率超声凭借独特的物理化学作用,在湿法与火法冶金过程强化中展现出显著优势. 其作用机理主要包括空化效应、声流效应及声化学反应,这些作用不仅能有效改善液固界面的传质行为、加快反应速率,还可在高温熔体中促进夹杂物的迁移去除、细化凝固组织,从而优化金属的综合性能. 近年来,随着计算流体力学、多物理场耦合建模以及高性能计算技术的发展,数值模拟已成为揭示功率超声在冶金体系中作用规律的重要手段. 本文围绕湿法与火法冶金两个典型领域,系统综述了功率超声在传质强化、夹杂物净化及晶粒细化等方面的数值模拟研究进展. 湿法冶金方面,模拟结果表明超声辐照可在液相中形成高强度空化区与稳定声流结构,显著降低扩散阻力、提升金属浸出率,并在电沉积过程中改善成核行为与镀层均匀性. 火法冶金中,功率超声通过改变钢液流场结构,缩短均混时间并提高夹杂物去除效率,同时在金属凝固阶段产生均匀的温度场与溶质场,抑制粗大枝晶的生成,实现组织细化与性能提升. 结合有限元、有限体积及多尺度耦合等数值方法,研究者已能够对声场分布、空化强度演化及流固热耦合特征进行定量分析,并在多种超声参数与反应器构型下进行优化设计. 综上,功率超声数值模拟不仅为揭示冶金外场强化机理提供了可视化和定量化依据,也为工业化工艺优化与放大设计提供了理论支撑与参数指导. 未来,需进一步加强模拟与实验的耦合验证,发展跨尺度、多场协同的高精度模型,探索复杂工业环境下的声场调控策略,以推动功率超声在绿色高效冶金体系中的规模化应用.

     

    Abstract: High-power ultrasound, owing to its unique combination of physical and chemical effects, has emerged as a powerful tool for enhancing both hydrometallurgical and pyrometallurgical processes. The primary mechanisms for such enhancement involve acoustic cavitation, acoustic streaming, and chemical reactions. Collectively, these factors improve mass transfer at liquid–solid interfaces and increase reaction rates, facilitate the migration and removal of inclusions in high-temperature molten systems, and promote the refinement of solidification microstructures, thereby enhancing the overall performance of metallic products. Of late, the advancement of computational fluid dynamics (CFD), multiphysics coupling modeling techniques, and high-performance computing techniques has positioned numerical simulation as a crucial method for elucidating the complex interaction mechanisms of high-power ultrasound in metallurgical systems. This paper presents a comprehensive review of the latest progress made in the field of numerical simulation of high-power ultrasound, focusing on two representative domains: hydrometallurgy and pyrometallurgy. In hydrometallurgical applications, the simulations indicate that ultrasonic irradiation produces localized high-intensity cavitation regions coupled with stable acoustic streaming structures in the liquid phase. These hydrodynamic phenomena significantly reduce diffusion resistance, enhance metal leaching efficiency, and improve nucleation behavior, thereby enabling more uniform coating during electrodeposition. Furthermore, the simulation results suggest that ultrasound can be used to precisely regulate flow patterns within the leaching and plating reactors, affording optimized reaction kinetics and improved product quality. In pyrometallurgical processes, the numerical models show that high-power ultrasound modifies the molten metal flow field, shortens homogenization time, and increases the inclusion removal efficiency. During the solidification stage, ultrasound generates a more uniform temperature and solute distribution, suppresses the formation of coarse dendritic structures, and promotes the formation of finer, more homogeneous grain morphologies, which directly contribute to superior mechanical and service properties. The combined effects of ultrasonic agitation and thermosolutal field uniformity have been quantitatively described using advanced simulation methods, enabling precise prediction of microstructural evolution under various operating conditions. From a methodological perspective, the integration of finite element methods (FEM), finite volume methods (FVM), and multiscale coupling strategies has enabled the quantitative evaluation of spatial acoustic pressure distributions, temporal cavitation intensity evolution, and thermo–fluid–solid coupled interactions in both laboratory-scale and industrial-scale systems. By systematically varying ultrasonic parameters—such as frequency, power density, transducer arrangement, and immersion depth—along with reactor geometry, the simulations provide actionable insights for optimizing acoustic field uniformity, minimizing energy dissipation, and tailoring reactor configurations to the specific demands of metallurgical processes. Such modeling frameworks facilitate the design of high-efficiency ultrasonic reactors and offer predictive capabilities that significantly reduce the costs of industrial process development by trial-and-error. Overall, numerical simulation of high-power ultrasound serves as both a visualization tool and a quantitative analytical framework for elucidating metallurgical field-enhancement mechanisms. The knowledge obtained from the simulation studies lays the foundation for process optimization, energy efficiency improvement, and industrial scale-up design. This knowledge also provides valuable parameter guidance and engineering strategies for the successful integration of ultrasonic technology into green, high-performance metallurgical systems. Future research must focus on closer integration of simulation and experimental validation, the development of high-fidelity, cross-scale, multi-field collaborative models, and the study of robust acoustic field control strategies in complex and variable industrial environments. These advancements should accelerate the large-scale application of high-power ultrasound in sustainable metallurgy, contributing to the development of traditional metallurgical processes towards processes with higher efficiency, lower environmental impact, and stronger competitive advantage.

     

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