Gassing During Tapping of Silicon

During tapping of metal from silicon furnaces, a significant amount of gas is often released through the tap-hole. The gas is combustible, and a flame jet is created which poses a safety threat to operators. Due to the high temperatures involved, thermal NO_x is also produced. This is a threat to the environment and the health of the operators. These phenomena, known as gassing, have been studied here by a mathematical model for reactive turbulent flows. The results show that the flame jet can extend several meters out from the tap-hole, and that the strength of the flame jet increases with the amount of gassing. The simulations also show that the NO_x production increases with the amount of gas exiting the tap-hole, and that the thermal NO_x formation does not substantially impact the length of the gas jet.