Study of cavity modes in BOF by analysis of sound

Various cavity modes (i.e. dimpling, splashing and penetrating) are important phenomena in estimating splashing in oxygen steelmaking. Though few studies in the literature have addressed this issue, no investigation can be found focusing on identifying modes by physical means. In the current work, sound produced in a cold air-water model was analysed to distinguish various cavity modes. Wave analysis showed that amplitude of sound increased as the mode changed from one to other. From spectrum analysis, it was found that between a certain range of frequencies, there was considerable difference in the sound level as the mode changed from splashing to penetrating. The presence of a second layer over the bath surface did not affect the general outcomes of the analysis. Present work indicates that it may be possible to identify cavity modes by analysing the sound produced from the bath. This would allow greater control of splashing in oxygen steelmaking and potentially help prevent slopping by controlling operation parameters of the process.