Comparison of Different Designs of Bottom Linings with Dry Joints

摘要

Many bottom linings of refractory structures used in steel making industry are made of masonries with or without mortar. Several designs are possible: parallel, fish bone or radial. To compare the influence of these designs on the maximum stresses in the steel shell, the masonry with dry joints was modelled by a homogeneous equivalent material that takes into account the possibility of joint closure. The thermo-mechanical properties of this equivalent material were determined using a periodic homogenization method. They depend on the joint states (open or closed in the two directions). The use of this equivalent material for the bottom lining of a steel ladle has shown that the design that minimizes the stresses in the steel shell is the radial design.