• • Clogging of three bottom-blowing elements increases mixing time from 150.6 s to 219.3 s (45.62% rise), necessitating timely furnace bottom maintenance to sustain steel quality and process efficiency.
• • Synergistic stirring effect of inner and outer ring tuyeres yields an effective area of 2.940 m2, 14.4% greater than the sum of individual areas (0.919 m2 + 1.651 m2), underscoring the importance of maintaining all tuyeres operational.
• • Dead zone volume escalates to 3.703 m3 (17.31% of pool) with three clogged tuyeres and 5.946 m3 (27.79%) with four, directly correlating with reduced mixing and potential for localized temperature and composition inhomogeneities.
• • Industrial trials confirm that three clogged tuyeres raise end-point oxygen content to 0.0669wt% (22.1% increase) and total iron in slag to 19.44wt% (24.5% increase), leading to lower steel yield and higher refining costs.