Research

The  Process Technology Laboratory has conducted vast amounts of its own research, as well as collaborating with other entities on wide range of research based projects.

Current projects

  • 2024-2029, Burden properties and their effects on blast furnace (BF), ARC and Rio Tinto, Kuang - Lead Chief Investigator.
  • 2024-2029, Model studies of hydrogen shaft furnace (SF), ARC and Rio Tinto, Kuang - Lead Chief Investigator.
  • 2024-2029, Modelling and analysis of electric smelting furnace (ESF), ARC and Rio Tinto, Kuang - Lead Chief Investigator.
  • 2024-2029, Development of cyclone control technology, ARC and Rio Tinto, Kuang - Lead Chief Investigator.
  • 2024-2029, Development of direct reduction technologies based on fluidized bed (FB) and circulating fluidized bed (CFB), ARC and Rio Tinto, Kuang - Lead Chief Investigator.
  • 2024-2029  Research Hub for Smart Design and Control. ARC Research Hub (IH230100010, collaborated with Rio Tinto, Baosteel, Bradken, Longking, JITRI). Kuang - Chief Investigator. Deputy director.
  • 2025-2027, Model studies of new low-carbon gas injection technologies for Blast Furnace (BF) ironmaking, LCM project, Kuang - Chief Investigator
  • 2024-2026, Upcycling of mixed plastics from bioprocessed municipal solid waste, ARC LP (LP230100270, collaborated with ARC ENTO TECH LTD). Kuang - Chief investigator.
  • 2023-2026 Model studies of Australian lump ore applied to blast furnace ironmaking, ARC LP (LP210200903, collaborated with Rio Tinto). Kuang - Lead Chief Investigator.

Past projects

  • 2021-2021  Investigation of flow regimes and transition along pulverized coal (PC) conveying pipelines. BlueScope Steel. Total grant: AU$61K. Kuang - Lead chief investigator.
  • 2020-2022 Assessment of different routes to realise oxygen blast furnace (collaborated with Baosteel). Baosteel. Total grant: AU$400K. Kuang - Chief investigator.
  • 2017-2019  Model studies of three-dimensional distributions within blast furnace for reliable and efficient operations. Baosteel-Australia Joint Research and Development Centre (BA16002). Total grant: AU$400K. Kuang - Lead chief investigator.
  • 2016-2020  Particle-scale modelling of particle-fluid flows in gas and oil extraction. ARC LP (LP160100819, collaborated with Weir Minerals and BePIONEER). Total grant: AU$1.2M. Kuang - Chief Investigator.
  • 2016-2021  Research Hub for Computational Particle Technology. ARC Research Hub (IH140100035, collaborated with JITRI, Longking, Baosteel, and Rio Tinto).Total grant: AU$12M. Kuang - Chief Investigator. Project leader for subprojects of “Integrated BF process model”; “Pneumatic conveying for fly ash”; “Hydrocyclones”. Details can be found in ARC Hub for Computational Particle Technology
  • 2011-2014  Particle-scale study of pneumatic conveying bends (AU$8K in 2011); Micromechanic modelling and analysis of dense-phase pneumatic transport of powders (AU$6K in 2012); A multi-scale study of flow instability within pneumatic and hydraulic conveying systems (AU$5K in 2013); Towards fundamentals underlying separators of nanopore structure (4.9K in 2014), UNSW Faculty Research Grant program. Total grant: AU$25K, Kuang - sole Chief Investigator.
  • 2021-2025 Development and application of digital blast furnace model for low carbon ironmaking processes. The key program of NSFC (the National Natural Science Foundation of China) (52034003). Total grant: CNY 3M (~AU$ 600K). Kuang - Partner Investigator (Monash Suzhou). Rank: 2/7.
  • 2016-2019 Development and application of a particle scale blast furnace model. The key program of JF-NSFC (the Joint Funds of the National Natural Science Foundation of China) (U1560205). Total grant: CNY 3.34M (~AU$ 660K). Kuang - Partner Investigator (Monash Suzhou). Rank: 2/6.
  • 2016-2019 Mesoscopic averaging theory of granular systems: Formulation and application. The key program of MRP-NSFC (The Major Research Plan of the National Natural Science Foundation of China) (91534206). Total grant: CNY 3.6M (~ AU$ 720K). Kuang - Partner Investigator (Monash Suzhou). Rank: 2/7.

PTL and its collaborators have developed a wide range of technologgy advancements . More to come soon.

Our research is well integrated into a variety of industrial applications. More to come soon.

Models/codes

Key features

CFD-DEM models (unresolved)

  • Two   versions: In-house codes, OpenFOAM-LIGGGHTS-based in-house codes
  • Solve   particle-fluid flow (including free surfaces), heat and mass transfer
  • Consider   spherical and non-spherical particles, particle electrification, and particle   melting
  • Applicable   to complex geometries with and without moving parts

CFD-DEM models (resolved)

  • Two   versions: In-house codes using LBM (Lattice Boltzmann Method)-DEM,   OpenFOAM-LIGGGHTS-based in-house codes using FVM (Finite Volume Method)-DEM
  • Directly   solve particle-fluid interactions, including forces and heat transfer

CFD BF process models

  • Two   versions: In-house codes, ANSYS CFX-based model with user-defined codes
  • Solve   2D/3D gas, solid and liquid flows, heat and mass transfer and chemical   reactions in BFs
  • Solve   below the burden surface of BF using ANSYS CFX, including raceway combustion   model and hearth model

CFD-DEM BF process models

  • Two   versions: GPU-based and CPU-based in-house codes
  • Solve 2D/3D   gas, solid and liquid flows, heat and mass transfer and chemical reactions in   BFs

CFD SF process model

  • Fluent-based   model with user-defined codes
  • Solve   flow, heat and mass transfer, and reactions in SF

CFD EAF process model

  • ANSYS   Fluent-based model with user-defined codes
  • Solve   flow, heat and mass transfer, reactions, and electro-thermal conversion in   EAFs

GPU-based DEM BF burden charging code

  • In-house   codes
  • Solve   particle flows

CFD model for hydrocyclones

  • ANSYS   Fluent-based model with user-defined codes
  • Solve   gas-liquid-particle flows in hydrocyclones

AI models for hydrocyclones and BFs

  • In-house   Python codes based on TensorFlow
  • Use   for prediction and optimisation

Completed Theses

PhD Thesis

  • Dr Yancong Liu: Modelling and improving liquid behaviors in an ironmaking BF operated with different burden compositions
  • Dr Patricio Ignacio Jacobs Capdeville: DEM analysis of energy dissipation in bulk solids handling and transportation processes in the ironmaking industry
  • Dr Haoyu Wang: Numerical modelling and analysis of particle-fluid flow and wall erosion in centrifugal slurry pump
  • Dr Noor Ilyana Ismail: CFD-DEM modelling and analysis of sand screen performance in the petroleum industry
  • Dr Puja Paul: Enhanced integrative bioprocess for efficient separation of biological nanoparticles
  • Dr Jing Li: Numerical modeling and analysis of hydrogen blast furnace ironmaking process
  • Dr Lingling Liu: Modelling and optimization of ironmaking blast furnace with an integrated mathematical model
  • Dr Enzu Zheng: Turbulent coarse-particle non-Newtonian suspension flow
  • Dr Memeng Zhou: CFD-DEM modelling and analysis of hydraulic conveying
  • Dr Lulu Jiao: Development and applications of a comprehensive three-dimensional (3D) blast furnace process model
  • Dr Siddhartha Shrestha: Particle Scale Modelling of Bubble Dynamics in Bubbling Fluidized Beds of Ellipsoids
  • Dr Zheng Qi: Lattice Boltzmann Investigation On Non-Newtonian Fluid-particle Systems
  • Dr Zhen Miao: Modelling And Analyze Of Pulverized Coal In Various Pipelines
  • Dr Hui Zhu: Computational Study of Particle-Fluid Flow through Microchannels
  • Dr Zhaoyang Li: Modelling and Analysis of Ironmaking Blast Furnace (BF) for Process Efficiency Improvement
  • Dr Li Ji: Modelling the Multiphase Flow in Hydrocyclones
  • Dr Maryam Ghodrat: Computational modelling and analysis of the flow and performance in hydrocyclones
  • Dr Ke Li: CFD-DEM Simulation of Particle-fluid Flows

Master Thesis

  • Mr Zhaoyang Li: Modelling and analysis of ironmaking blast furnace (BF) for energy efficiency improvement
  • Mr Zheng Qi: CFD modelling and analysis of the multiphase flow and performance of dense medium cyclone: effects of geometry and operating conditions
  • Mr Yecheng Tang
  • Mr Zhi Quan