Abstract: Based on the porous media model， the mathematical model of the gas flow in sinter vertical tank was established according to the gas solid packed beds dynamic theory， and the boundary conditions of the mathematical model were determined．This model was conducted on the platform of FLUENT software. The radial voidage distribution of tank material layer was defined through the user defined functions (UDF). The basic law of the gas flow in vertical tank was studied and the main factors and influence rules influencing the gas flow distribution were discussed. The results showed that in the cooling section， the gas flow rate gradually increases from the tank center to the inner wall along the radial， and finally increases suddenly near the inner wall. The main factors that influence the gas flow distribution in vertical tank are the radial voidage distribution of bed layer and the pre-stored segment diameter. The more serious the voidage radial segregation is， and the larger the pre-stored segment diameter is， the more uneven the gas flow distribution in vertical tank is.

Key words: sinter, waste heat recovery, voidage, gas flow, numerical simulation