Ladle preheating, as a crucial component of steel production, exerts a notable influence on both energy consumption and NOx emission levels throughout the entire production process. To investigate the impact of the excess air coefficient on the preheating process of the regenerative ladle, this paper firstly adopts numerical simulation method; a multi-field coupled mathematical model is established for simulating the gas combustion, flow, and coupled heat transfer within the thermal storage ladle. This approach is grounded in the standard k-ε turbulence model, the component transport combustion model, and the DO radiation model. Subsequently, using the finite element analysis software ANSYS Fluent 2024 R1, simulations was conducted for the combustion fields inside the ladle at various excess air coefficients (0.9, 0.95, 1, 1.05, 1.1, 1.15, and 1.2) based on the established model. For each excess air coefficient, the flow field, temperature field, and NOx distribution within the ladle were analyzed. The results indicate that, under the specified boundary conditions, both excessively high and low air excess coefficients result in a decrease in combustion temperature. Furthermore, as the coefficient increases, the uniformity of the temperature field also improves. Excessively high air excess coefficients significantly elevate NOx concentrations, adversely impacting the environment. Consequently, to optimize the ladle baking process, this study recommends setting the air excess coefficient to 1.05. This is crucial for optimizing the baking process, enhancing baking efficiency, and conserving energy.