中国古代冶铁竖炉演变的仿真研究

The cast iron technology is one of the most important inventions in ancient China. With the shaft furnaces as the main objects to show the core technology of cast iron invention, this project will be focused on the simulation study on the evolution of the iron-smelting shaft furnaces in ancient China, which will be instructive to show the splendid wisdom and creativity of Chinese people. Firstly, the field survey of the shaft furnaces covered from the Warring Period (5-3th.c. BC ) to Ming Dynasty (AD 15-17th c.) will be carried out based on the study of historical literatures and archaeological materials. Some precise measurements will be done on the typical shaft furnace structures with 3D laser scanning technology. Then the microstructure investigation and chemical composition analysis will be examined on the iron smelting remains, which will be useful to explain the physical chemistry of metallurgical process in the furnaces. After that, the digital simulation will be done on the multi-phase fluids and temperature distributions in the furnaces with the related software of CFD (computational fluid dynamics), in order to reconstruct the shaft furnaces and to simulate the iron smelting process. We will also do some analysis on the types and structures of early shaft furnaces to search the reason why liquid cast iron can be produced only in early China. After the integrative study of the technical development of iron smelting shaft furnaces from different dates and places, we can roughly get the technological series of the furnaces and solve some scientific problems on the development of the iron and steel technology in ancient China. That will supply some new scientific materials for the conservation, utilization and exhibition of the iron smelting sites, will also give some new aspects to design and improve the modern metallurgical reactors.

生铁与生铁制钢技术是中国古代最重要的发明创造之一。以反映我国古代生铁冶炼核心技术水平的冶铁竖炉为研究对象，开展中国古代冶铁竖炉演变的仿真研究，对彰显中华民族的伟大智慧和创造力具有重要意义。本项目拟在历史文献和考古资料调研的基础上，对战国至明代各时期的古代冶铁竖炉进行调查，并通过三维激光扫描技术精确测量典型竖炉的炉型结构；根据冶铁遗物的显微组织和化学组成的科学分析来揭示炉内冶金过程物理化学特征；利用计算流体力学相关软件进行冶铁竖炉内多相流场和温度场的数值模拟，进而实现炉型结构复原与冶铁工艺过程仿真；通过炉型结构分析探求早期冶铁竖炉能够生产液态生铁的原因；综合研究中国古代典型冶铁竖炉的发展状况、技术水平，初步建立其演变发展序列，阐释中国古代钢铁技术发展的相关科学问题，为冶铁遗址的保护、利用与展示提供科学资料，也为探索现代冶金反应器设计及改进提供新思路。

中国至迟在公元前6世纪发明了生铁冶炼技术，并长期使用竖炉生产液态生铁。炉型对于生铁冶炼能否顺畅、高效进行起到关键作用，具有丰富的技术内涵，是中国古代冶铁技术的核心部分。本项目在历史文献和考古资料调研的基础上，对战国至明代各时期的古代冶铁竖炉进行了调查，并通过三维激光扫描技术精确测量典型竖炉的炉型结构；根据冶铁遗物的显微组织和化学组成的科学分析揭示了炉内冶金过程物理化学特征；利用计算流体力学相关软件进行了冶铁竖炉内多相流场和温度场的数值模拟，进而实现炉型结构复原与冶铁工艺过程仿真。本项目重点调查了全国36处古代冶铁遗址，结合古文献记载、考古资料和遗迹现象，复原了9种古代典型竖炉炉型；据此对古代冶铁竖炉进行分类和分期，提出了炉型演变过程；采用计算流体力学方法，设计古代竖炉气流场“极限值+合理值”三维模拟、“分层带”二维模拟的两步模拟方案，根据遗迹现象、传统竖炉生产数据和小高炉解剖结果建立边界条件，对气流场进行了数值模拟，分析了炉型对冶炼的影响，探求了早期冶铁竖炉能够生产液态生铁的原因。综合研究中国古代冶铁竖炉在各时期各地区的发展状况、技术水平，初步建立其演变发展序列，阐释了中国古代钢铁技术发展的相关科学问题，为冶铁遗址的保护、利用与展示提供科学资料。