Abstract
Much like Bilbo’s journey, modelling electric arcs takes us from the abstract world of theory to the fiery heart of industry. In this world, 1+1 makes 11—where complex interactions between magnetohydrodynamics, heat transfer, and plasma physics amplify beyond simple sums. These models, forged in theory, are tested in real-world smelting furnaces, refining our understanding and optimizing performance. Through this adventure, electric arc modelling has been constantly evolving from an academic puzzle into a powerful insight tool for industry.

Click here to watch the presentation now.

Biography
Dr Quinn Reynolds
Quinn is 48 years old and holds degrees in Engineering and Applied Mathematics. He has worked in the Pyrometallurgy Division at Mintek for over 25 years. Mintek is a state-owned research institute serving the extensive mineral and metallurgical processing sector in South Africa. Quinn is also an extraordinary professor in the department of Chemical Engineering at Stellenbosch University. His expertise includes mathematical and computational modelling of complex coupled phenomena in high temperature processes, and in particular the application of high-performance computing and open source software platforms to pyrometallurgy. His current areas of research include magnetohydrodynamic modelling of electric arcs, multiphysics fluid flow problems in furnace tapping and phase separation, combustion modelling for metallurgical processing, and reduced order modelling for digital twin applications.

Mr Markus Erwee 
Markus Erwee is a pyrometallurgist with a deep passion for modelling pyrometallurgical processes, working with data, training people, and conducting experiments on both laboratory and industrial scales. He graduated from the University of Pretoria’s Department of Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering, where he is currently pursuing his PhD part-time. Markus began his career at the University of Pretoria, where he worked for seven years until 2014. He then joined the Pyrometallurgy Division at Mintek, where he spent about five years expanding his expertise in high-temperature metallurgical processes. In 2018 and 2019, Markus worked at Nyrstar Australia as the Group Expert in Pyrometallurgy. In 2019, Markus joined Samancor, where he currently serves as the Technical and Research Manager in the Business Development and Technology Department.