Height of the spout of a gas plume discharging from a metal melt

In the present investigation, the height of the spout of a gas plume discha rging from the surface of a metal melt has been measured in a laboratory mo del involving mercury and in real steel ladies. The spout geometry strongly fluctuates with time. This has to be taken into account in the measuring m ethod and data evaluation. Long-term averages of the spout profile and mome ntary maximum height values have been determined, and it has been found tha t their nondimensional values are of similar size in the model and in the s teel ladle. An engineering formula is presented for the estimation of maxim um spout height in argon stirring.