A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) based model of a submerged arc furnace for the production of phosphorus was developed. The model was constructed to investigate the influence of changing operating conditions on energy distribution within the burden and reaction characteristics such as the position of the solid-gas reaction zone. Two user-developed models generate a volumetric distribution of the mass sources and energy sinks within the packed bed region. Boundary conditions, initial values and material specifications are provided by industrial measurements, laboratory experiments and a combination of empirical and thermodynamical data. The results provide three-dimensional furnace characteristics of gas flow, energy distribution and chemical reactions that will give decision support for a predictive, Dynamic-CFD hybrid model [Scheepers, E., Yang, Y., Reuter, M., Adema, A., 2006. A dynamic-cfd hybrid model of a submerged arc furnace for phosphorus production. Minerals Engineering 19 (3), 309-317]. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.