In general, uniform mixing of particles is desirable in the process of particle handling. However, during the charging of sinter feed and upper ore, size segregation must be induced to prevent heat imbalance, ensure bed permeability, and prevent the loss of fine ore. In this study, upper ore charging was simulated using a discrete element method (DEM) to find the optimal method for controlling particle size segregation, and the segregation characteristics in the upper ore bed were investigated when a deflector plate was applied to the charging machine. The degree of vertical segregation increased when a deflector plate was applied, and it was confirmed that the segregation direction in the upper ore bed can be controlled by adjusting the charging direction of the upper ore by using a deflector plate. In order to apply this method directly to the actual process, further study is needed to understand the influence of the characteristics of the deflector plate such as length and angle.

In the ironmaking, sizes of raw materials such as iron ores and coke must be adjusted for subsequent process in the blast furnace. The depletion of high grade iron ore in recent years necessitates a technology that can utilize low-grade fine iron ores. Thus, steelmakers have been studying the sinter-briquette complex firing process that employs a method of charging the sinter feed together with briquettes made of fine iron ore. In this process, larger briquettes increase the briquette productivity per unit time but decrease the green strength of briquettes and they can break during transportation and charging. Thus, the briquette shape is very important.

Therefore, in this study, we simulate a twin roll briquetting process using the DEM analysis and compared the compressive force distributions in the briquette for different aspect ratios. This study is a new attempt, because research cases by numerical methods on the same or similar systems are very rare. Consequently, the optimal aspect ratio is 0.5 at briquette height 20 mm, 2.0 at 30 mm, and 1.5 at 40 mm. Also, the average compressive force increased in proportion with the pocket height at the same aspect ratio. Therefore, to increase the pocket depth for high productivity, the pocket height must also be increased for obtaining high strength briquettes.