The invention relates to a process and a device for smelting copper by a pulsation vortex method. The process comprises the following steps of: mixing dry copper concentrate powder or matte powder with oxygen-enriched air, and putting the mixture in a reactor to form high-speed vortex taking an axis as a center; introducing pulsation oxygen into the center of the high-speed vortex, performing pulsation combustion to generate pulsation turbulent flow in the high-speed vortex so as to promote particles to collide with one another, then forming a pulsation vortex reaction area with a high-temperature field, a high oxygen field and a high particle field, and completing a reaction of manufacturing the matte and slag from the copper concentrate or manufacturing crude copper and slag from the matte; after the reaction, precipitating fused materials in a fusing pool at the bottom of the reactor, and then separating the matte and slag or the crude copper and slag; and sending SO2 gas fume to an acid preparation process. The process and the device have the advantages of: 1, high reaction efficiency, high oxygen utilization efficiency and low fume yield; 2, high capacity, low energy consumption, small reaction space, centralized heat energy reacted, low loss of a refractory material of a furnace body, no need of a huge metallurgical hearth and low investment cost; and 3, environmental protection and simple, convenient and reliable technological operation.