Asymptotic analysis of a silicon furnace model

Silicon is produced from quartz rock in electrode-heated furnaces by using carbon as a reduction agent. We perform an asymptotic analysis of a heat and mass transfer model of an experimental pilot furnace in order to determine the dominant chemical and thermal behaviour of the system. First, by pres...

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Main Authors: Sloman, B, Please, C, Van Gorder, R
Format: Journal article
Published: Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics 2018
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author Sloman, B
Please, C
Van Gorder, R
author_facet Sloman, B
Please, C
Van Gorder, R
author_sort Sloman, B
collection OXFORD
description Silicon is produced from quartz rock in electrode-heated furnaces by using carbon as a reduction agent. We perform an asymptotic analysis of a heat and mass transfer model of an experimental pilot furnace in order to determine the dominant chemical and thermal behaviour of the system. First, by prescribing a steady state temperature profile in the furnace we explore the leading order reactions in different spatial regions, as well as early time behaviour. We are able to obtain asymptotic solutions which compare well with numerical simulations. Utilising the dominant balances found when the temperature is prescribed, we next reduce the full model to two coupled partial differential equations for the time-variable temperature profile within the furnace and the concentration of solid quartz. These equations account for diffusion, an endothermic reaction, and the external heating input to the system. A moving boundary is found and the behaviour on either side of this boundary explored in the asymptotic limit of small diffusion. We note how the simplifications derived may be useful for future models and industrial furnace operation, and comment on insights from the model about furnace crust formation.
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spelling oxford-uuid:e83a516a-7ae3-417a-889a-0bfd5a98d71c2022-03-27T10:45:10ZAsymptotic analysis of a silicon furnace modelJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:e83a516a-7ae3-417a-889a-0bfd5a98d71cSymplectic Elements at OxfordSociety for Industrial and Applied Mathematics2018Sloman, BPlease, CVan Gorder, RSilicon is produced from quartz rock in electrode-heated furnaces by using carbon as a reduction agent. We perform an asymptotic analysis of a heat and mass transfer model of an experimental pilot furnace in order to determine the dominant chemical and thermal behaviour of the system. First, by prescribing a steady state temperature profile in the furnace we explore the leading order reactions in different spatial regions, as well as early time behaviour. We are able to obtain asymptotic solutions which compare well with numerical simulations. Utilising the dominant balances found when the temperature is prescribed, we next reduce the full model to two coupled partial differential equations for the time-variable temperature profile within the furnace and the concentration of solid quartz. These equations account for diffusion, an endothermic reaction, and the external heating input to the system. A moving boundary is found and the behaviour on either side of this boundary explored in the asymptotic limit of small diffusion. We note how the simplifications derived may be useful for future models and industrial furnace operation, and comment on insights from the model about furnace crust formation.
spellingShingle Sloman, B
Please, C
Van Gorder, R
Asymptotic analysis of a silicon furnace model
title Asymptotic analysis of a silicon furnace model
title_full Asymptotic analysis of a silicon furnace model
title_fullStr Asymptotic analysis of a silicon furnace model
title_full_unstemmed Asymptotic analysis of a silicon furnace model
title_short Asymptotic analysis of a silicon furnace model
title_sort asymptotic analysis of a silicon furnace model
work_keys_str_mv AT slomanb asymptoticanalysisofasiliconfurnacemodel
AT pleasec asymptoticanalysisofasiliconfurnacemodel
AT vangorderr asymptoticanalysisofasiliconfurnacemodel