Water Modeling of Optimizing Tundish Flow Field

In the water modeling experiments, three cases were considered, i. e, , a bare tundish, a tundish equipped with a turbulence inhibitor, and a rectangular tundish equipped with weirs （dams） and a turbulence inhibitor. Comparing the RTD curves, inclusion separation, and the result of the streamline experiment, it can be found that the tundish equipped with weirs （dams） and a turbulence inhibitor has a great effect on the flow field and the inclusion separation when compared with the sole use or no use of the turbulent inhibitor or weirs （dams）. In addition, the enlargement of the distance between the weir and dam will result in a better effect when the tundish equipped with weirs （dam） and a turbulence inhibitor was used.

Orthogonal analysis of water model study on the optimization of flow control devices in a six-strand tundish

Improper flow control devices in a multi-strand tundish can cause some problems, for example, liquid steel cannot reach every nozzle at the same time and the liquid steel in nozzles far away from the entry zone has a lower temperature. The water model experiment of a six-strand tundish of Tianjin Iron ＆ Steel Co. Ltd. was performed, a new ＂U＂ type baffle was obtained, and its parameters were defined by perpendicular analysis. The ＂U＂ baffle can not only improve those imperfections, but also prolong the residence time of nonmetallic inclusions, which is good for their flotation and separation.

Water modeling of molten steel flow in a multi-strand tundish with gas blowing

Fluid flow characteristics in a four-strand tundish with gas blowing were studied by water modeling experiments.It is found that gas blowing can greatly improve the flow characteristics in the tundish with a turbulence inhibitor.It dramatically increases the peak concentration time,and greatly decreases the dead volume,and reduces the minimum residence time.The gas blowing location,gas flow rate,and porous plug area greatly influence the flow characteristics in the tundish; the gas blowing location near the baffle,smaller gas flow rate,and smaller porous plug area are better for improving the fluid flow characteristics.Using gas blowing can reduce the difference of flows at the middle outlets and side outlets for the multi-strand tundish.Bubbles produced by gas blowing can absorb small inclusions and provide the condition for inclusion collision and aggregation.Therefore,introducing gas blowing into a tundish and combining the turbulence inhibitor can improve inclusion floating and removal,and the cleanness of molten steel can be advanced.

Optimization of flow control devices for a T-type five-strand billet caster tundish: water modeling and numerical simulation

The optimization of flow control devices(FCDs) for a T-type five-strand billet caster tundish was carried out by water modeling and numerical simulation. In water modeling experiments, flow characteristics of the bare tundish and tundish conf igurations with designed U-type baff les and a round turbulence inhibitor were analyzed using residence time distribution(RTD) curves. Mathematical models for liquid steel in the real plant tundish were established using the fluid dynamics software package Fluent. The flow field, the temperature field, and the RTD curves of liquid steel in the proposed tundish conf igurations were obtained. The results of numerical simulation and water modeling were validated with each other by the predicted and experimental RTD curves. The results of flow field and temperature field were used to ref lect the actual state of a real plant tundish and to choose the optimal FCD. Finaly, from the whole performance of the multi-strand tundish, the optimal scheme was determined by combining the results of water modeling and numerical simulation. With the optimal tundish equipped with U-type baffle with def lector holes and round turbulence inhibitor, not only was the flow characteristic of each strand improved, but also the difference of flow characteristics between multiple strands was smaller.

Water Modeling of Twin-Roll Strip Casting

Twin-roll strip casting is regarded as a prospective technology of near net shape continuous casting. The fluid flow field and level fluctuation in the pool have a strong influence not only on composition and temperature homogeneity of pool, but also on the strip quality. A 1 ： 1 water model of a twin-roll strip caster was set up based on the criteria of Froude number and Reynold number similarity. The level fluctuation was measured. The influence of pool depth, casting speed and feeding system configuration on level fluctuation in the pool was studied. The experimental results provided a basis for the optimization of feeding system and process parameters.

Gas–liquid mass transfer and flow phenomena in the Peirce–Smith converter: a water model study

A water model with a geometric similarity ratio of 1：5 was developed to investigate the gas-liquid mass transfer and flow charac- teristics in a Peirce-Smith converter. A gas mixture of CO2 and Ar was injected into a NaOH solution bath. The flow field, volumetric mass transfer coefficient per unit volume （Ak/V; where A is the contact area between phases, V is the volume, and k is the mass transfer coeffi- cient）, and gas utilization ratio （t/） were then measured at different gas flow rates and blow angles. The results showed that the flow field could be divided into five regions, i.e., injection, strong loop, weak loop, splashing, and dead zone. Whereas the Ak/V of the bath increased and then decreased with increasing gas flow rate, and n steadily increased. When the converter was rotated clockwise, both Ak/F and t/increased. However, the flow condition deteriorated when the gas flow rate and blow angle were drastically increased. Therefore, these para- meters must be controlled to optimal conditions. In the proposed model, the optimal gas flow rate and blow angle were 7.5 m3.h-1 and 10°, respectively.

Water modeling of mold powder entrapment in slab continuous casting mold

The optimal parameters were determined by the water modeling of slab casting. It was found that there are mainly three types of mold powder entrapment in slab continuous casting, i.e., the entrapment caused by the shearing flow near the narrow face of mold, the entrapment caused by vortexes around the submerged entry nozzle （SEN）, and the entrapment caused by the Ar bubbling. Both the velocity of the surface flow and the level fluctuation of the liquids are enlarged with increasing the casting speed, reducing the submersion depth of SEN, decreasing the downward angles of the nozzle outlets, and increasing the Ar flowrate, all of which increase the tendency of mold powder entrapment. Among the four above-mentioned factors, casting speed has the largest effect.

Water model experiments of multiphase mixing in the top-blown smelting process of copper concentrate

We constructed a 1：10 cold water experimental model by geometrically scaling down an Isa smelting furnace. The mixing processes at different liquid heights, lance diameters, lance submersion depths, and gas flow rates were subsequently measured using the conductivity method. A new criterion was proposed to determine the mixing time. On this basis, the quasi-equations of the mixing time as a function of different parameters were established. The parameters of the top-blown smelting process were optimized using high-speed photography. An excessively high gas flow rate or excessively low liquid height would enhance the fluctuation and splashing of liquid in the bath, which is unfavorable for material mixing. Simultaneously increasing the lance diameter and the lance submersion depth would promote the mixing in the bath, thereby improving the smelting efficiency.

Effects of several casting parameters on slag entrapment in mould( part A: water modeling)

The mechanism of slag entrapment in the mould was analyzed and the water modeling experiment was done according to the industrial manufacturing. The results show that the flow of the liquid steel becomes more active and the level fluctuation in the mould becomes bigger when the casting speed increases from 1.0 m/min to 1.2 m/min. So the control of slag entrapment in the mould becomes more difficult. When the depth of the nozzle increases from 30mm to 42. 5mm and the angle increases from 15~ downward to 30° downward, the level fluctuation in the mould becomes smaller and the slag entrapment in the mould also decreases. But the impact depth increases and the circumfluence vortex center moves downward, which is unfavorable for the flotation of gas bubbles and inclusions. Furthermore, the impact depth with side holes a （ 16.3 × 20mm2 ） and b （ 10 × 10 mm2 ） is almost equal, but a smaller level fluctuation can be obtained with side hole a.

Evaluation of flow regime of turbidity currents entering Dez Reservoir using extended shallow water model

In this study, the performance of the extended shallow water model （ESWM） in evaluation of the flow regime of turbidity currents entering the Dez Reservoir was investigated. The continuity equations for fluid and particles and the Navier-Stokes equations govern the entire flow of turbidity currents. The shallow water equations governing the flow of the depositing phase of turbidity currents are derived from these equations. A case study was conducted on the flow regime of turbidity currents entering the Dez Reservoir in Iran from January 2002 to July 2003. Facing a serious sedimentation problem, the dead storage of the Dez Reservoir will be full in the coming 10 years, and the inflowing water in the hydropower conduit system is now becoming turbid. Based on the values of the dimensionless friction number （ Nf ≤1 ） and dimensionless entrainment number （ NE≤ 1 ） of turbidity currents, and the coefficient of determination between the observed and predicted deposit depths （R2 = 0.86） for the flow regime of negligible friction and negligible entrainment （NFNE）, the flow regime of turbidity currents coming into the Dez Reservoir is considered to be NFNE. The results suggest that the ESWM is an appropriate approach for evaluation of the flow regime of turbidity currents in dam reservoirs where the characteristics of turbidity currents, such as the deposit depth, must be evaluated.

Observation and characterization of flow in critical sections of a horizontal pressurized gating system using water models

This work is concerned with the hydraulics and f low characterization in a pressurized,horizontal gating system with multiple ingates attached to a plate mold,using transparent water models.Runners with two different aspect ratios(w/h=0.5 and 2)and four different types of ingates(rectangular,convergent,divergent and venturi)were examined for their influence on flow behavior.Flow behavior was visualized using a high speed camera capable of capturing images up to 10,000 frames per second.Real time experimentation with a few runner–ingate combinations were carried out to validate the usefulness of water models in predicting the f illing behavior.Comparison of the approaches provided useful insights into the filling behavior in critical sections of the flow passages as well as the utility of water models towards understanding of the f illing behavior during real time casting.

Choice of Force Fields and Water Models for Sampling Solution Conformations of Bacteriophage T4 Lysozyme

A protein may exist as an ensem-ble of di erent conformations in solution,which cannot be repre-sented by a single static structure.Molecular dy-namics(MD)simulation has become a useful tool for sampling protein conformations in solution,but force elds and water models are important issues.This work presents a case study of the bacteriophage T4 lysozyme(T4L).We have found that MD simulations using a classic AMBER99SB force eld and TIP4P water model cannot well describe hinge-bending domain motion of the wild-type T4L at the timescale of one microsecond.Other combinations,such as a residue-speci c force eld called RSFF2+and a dispersion-corrected water model TIP4P-D,are able to sample reasonable solution conformations of T4L,which are in good agreement with experimental data.This primary study may provide candidates of force elds and water models for further investigating conformational transition of T4L.

Research on the optimization of tundish by water model

Based on the principle of similarity, water was used to simulate the flow of molten steel to analyze the flow field in a tundish. Several schemes of the tundish＇ s tracer shape were designed and corresponding water model experiments were conducted. During the experiments, a computer automatically collected data. The comparison of the residence time distribution（ RTD ） curves drawn according to the computer-collected data optimized the scheme and photographs originated from the experiments with ink as its tracer. It indicates that the water model can optimize the flow field of the tundish.

Water Model Study of Level Flunction in Continuous Casting Mold

Using 0.6-scale warer modelling based on Fr-We number similitude criteria, the influences of the submerged entry nozzle configuration and operating practices on the level fluctuation in the mold which caused surface defects and mold power catching, were studied. It was found that the level flunction was resulted from gas injection, impacting of the stream and standing wave. The level turblence raises with the incresing of the gas injection, however the casting rate, immersion depth and jet angel of SEN have a dual influenc on the level fluctuation.

Full-scale Water Modeling on Flow Field of Continuous Casting Mold

In the continuous casting process of aluminum killed steel grades,nozzle clogging is a common problem.Argon is usually injected into the casting channel through stoppers or nozzles to minimize clogs;however,complex two-phase flow regimes appear,and the flow in the mold might deteriorate.This could result in a higher defect rate in the cast product and should be avoided as much as possible.Therefore,it is important to understand the interaction between process conditions and the refractory products used and their impact on the flow pattern in the mold.In this study,a full-scale water model was established to simulate the slab casting process.Three nozzle shapes and three immersion depths were applied to investigate the flow behavior and liquid level fluctuations by the full-scale water model.The relationship between the flow behavior and continuous casting parameters was evaluated.The results provide guidance for the design and production of the refractory nozzle and the operation of the continuous casting plant.

Application of the Characteristic CIP Method to a Shallow Water Model on the Sphere

Semi-implicit algorithms are popularly used to deal with the gravitational term in numerical models. In this paper, we adopt the method of characteristics to compute the solutions for gravity waves on a sphere directly using a semi-Lagrangian advection scheme instead of the semi-implicit method in a shallow water model, to avoid expensive matrix inversions. Adoption of the semi-Lagrangian scheme renders the numerical model always stable for any Courant number, and which saves CPU time. To illustrate the effciency of the characteristic constrained interpolation profile （CIP） method, some numerical results are shown for idealized test cases on a sphere in the Yin-Yang grid system.

Analysis of travel time, sources of water and well protection zones with groundwater models

This study compares numerical models with analytical solutions in computing travel times and radius of protection zones for a pumping well located in an unconfined aquifer with uniform recharge and in a semi-confined aquifer. Numerical models were capable of delineating protection zones using particle tracking method in both cases. However, protection zones defined by travel time criterion can only protect small percent of source water to the well; large percent of source water is not protected which may pose a risk of pollution of source water to the well. The case study of Leggeloo well field in the Netherlands indicates that although a well field protection area was enforced in 1980 s, elevated nitrate concentration has been monitored in the abstracted water since 1990 s. The analysis of protection areas shows that the current protection area only protects 37.4% of recharge water to the well field. A large protection area must be adopted in order to safeguard the sustainable water supply for the local community.

Advances in the Coupled Soil Water and Groundwater Models

Models simulating the reciprocal transformation between the soil water and groundwater are of great practical importance to the development and utilization of water resources and prevention and remedy of water pollution. In this paper,popular coupled models of soil water and groundwater will be analyzed. Besides,advantages and disadvantages of different models will be summarized as a reference for the numerical model of soil water and groundwater.

Laboratory Validation of an Integrated Surface Water— Groundwater Model

The hydrodynamic surface water model DIVAST has been extended to include horizontally adjacent groundwater flows. This extended model is known as DIVAST-SG (Depth Integrated Velocities and Solute Transport with Surface Water and Groundwater). After development and analytical verification the model was tested against a novel laboratory set-up using open cell foam (60 pores per inch—ppi) as an idealised porous media representing a riverbank. The Hyder Hydraulics Laboratory at Cardiff University has a large tidal basin that was adapted to simulate a surface water—groundwater scenario using this foam, and used to validate the DIVAST-SG model. The properties of the laboratory set-up were measured and values were determined for hydraulic conductivity (permeability) and porosity, evaluated as 0.002 m/s and 75% respectively. Lessons learnt in this initial experimentation were used to modify the flume construction and improve the experimental procedure, with further experimentation being undertaken of both water level variations and tracer movement. Valuable data have been obtained from the laboratory experiments, allowing the validity of the numerical model to be assessed. Modifications to the input file to include representations of the joints between the foam blocks allowed a good fit between the observed and modelled water levels. Encouraging correlation was observed in tracer experiments using Rhodamine-WT dye between the observed exit points of the tracer from the foam, and the modelled exit points with time.

Study on Maize-water Model for Supplemental Irrigation in Loess Plateau

The Loess Plateau has a typical semi-arid climate, and the area suffers from very harsh ecological environment, severe soil erosion and water runoff, and uneven distributed precipitation. Due to the relatively low holding capacity, current rainwater-collecting and conservation facilities can only supplement a maximum of18 mm of water for crop production in each irrigation. In this study, mathematical models were constructed to identify the water requirement critical period of maize crop by evaluating response of each individual developmental stage to supplemental irrigation with harvested rainwater. In the transformed Jensen model, ETmin/Eta was used as the index of relative evapotranspiration. The use of relative yield and relative crop evapotranspiration was able to eliminate influences from unintended environmental factors. A BP neural network crop-water model for extreme water deficit condition was constructed using the index of relative evapotranspiration as the input and the index of relative yield as the output after iterative training and adjustment of weight values. Comparison of measured maize yields to those predicted by the two models confirmed that the BP neural network crop-water model is more accurate than the transformed Jensen model in predicting the sensitivity index to waterdeficit at various growth stages and maize yield when provided with supplemental irrigation with harvested rainwater.