The use of induction heating in hot-rolling operations

The use of induction heating in the hot-rolling of slabs,bars,billets,and blooms is presented.In today' s world,the cost of fossil fuels and the impact on the environment is an increasing concern.Induction heating can be used to heat materials from ambient temperature or in conjunction with gas reheat furnaces to enhance flexibility, boost productivity,reduce space requirements,improve metal surface quality,increase energy efficiency,and reduce harmful emissions to the environment.Various possible locations for induction heating are shown.An example case study is presented to quantify an increase in output.Some basic concepts of induction heating are explained to provide metallurgists with a better understanding of how and where induction heating can be applied.A brief introduction to computer modeling and control is touched on.Finally,some examples of recent installations are presented.

Modeling of Slab Induction Heating in Hot Rolling by FEM

FEM (Finite Element Method) has been widely used to solve temperature in hot rolling. The heat gen-erating rate of electromagnetic field has been discussed in order to improve the efficiency and accuracy in the solution of induction heating. A new heat generating rate model was proposed and derived from the calculated results by FEM software in consideration of work frequency, source current density, and the air gap between induction coil and slab. The calculated distribution of heat generating rate in the skin depth by the model is satisfying and reliable compared with that of FEM software. Then, the mathematic model of the heat generating rate model is considered as the density of heat reservoir to solve the temperature in induction heating. Moreover, the temperature evolution of slab in induction heating from a hot rolling plant has been solved by the developed FE code and the calculated temperature has a good agreement with the measured value. Therefore, the heat generating rate model is suitable and efficiency to solve the temperature in induction heating by FEM.

Preparation of high-strength Al-Mg-Si-Cu-Fe alloy via heat treatment and rolling

An Al-Mg-Si-Cu-Fe alloy was solid-solution treated at 560℃ for 3 h and then cooled by water quenching or furnace cooling. The alloy samples which underwent cooling by these two methods were rolled at different temperatures. The microstructure and mechanical properties of the rolled alloys were investigated by optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction analysis, and tensile testing. For the water-quenched alloys, the peak tensile strength and elongation occurred at a rolling temperature of 180℃. For the furnace-cooled alloys, the tensile strength decreased initially, until the rolling temperature of 420℃, and then increased;the elongation increased consistently with increasing rolling temperature. The effects of grain boundary hardening and dislocation hardening on the mechanical properties of these rolled alloys decreased with increases in rolling temperature. The mechanical properties of the 180℃ rolling water-quenched alloy were also improved by the presence ofβ″phase. Above 420℃, the effect of solid-solution hardening on the mechanical properties of the rolled alloys increased with increases in rolling temperature.

Microstructure and properties of A2017 alloy strips processed by a novel process by combining semisolid rolling,deep rolling,and heat treatment

A novel short process for producing A2017 alloy strips with notable features of near net shape, saving energy, low cost, and high product performance was developed by combining semisolid rolling, deep rolling, and heat treatment. The microstructure and properties of the A2017 alloy strips were investigated by metallographic microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, tensile testing, and hardness measurement. The cross-sectional microstructure of the A2017 alloy strips is mainly composed of near-spherical primary grains. Many eutectic phases CuA12 formed along primary grain boundaries during semisolid rolling are crushed and broken into small particles. After solution treatment at 495℃ for 2 h the eutectic phases at grain boundaries have almost dissolved into the matrix. When the solution treatment time exceeds 2 h, grain coarsening happens. More and more grain interior phases precipitate with the aging time prolonging to 8 h. The precipitated particles are very small and distribute homogenously, and the tensile strength reaches its peak value. When the aging time is prolonged to 12 h, there is no obvious variation in the amount of precipitated phases, but the size and spacing of precipitated phases increase. The tensile strength of the A2017 alloy strips produced by the present method can reach 362.78 MPa, which is higher than that of the strips in the national standard of China.

Microstructure, cold rolling, heat treatment, and mechanical properties of Mg-Li alloys

The magnesium-lithium （Mg-Li） alloy exhibits two phase structures between 5.7wt% and 10.3wt% Li contents, consisting of the a （hcp） Mg-rich and the β （bcc） Li-rich phases, at room temperature. In the experiment, Mg-5Li-2Zn, Mg-9Li-2Zn, Mg-16Li-2Zn, Mg-22Li-2Zn, Mg-5Li-2Zn-2Ca, Mg-9Li-2Zn-2Ca, Mg-16Li-2Zn-2Ca, and Mg-22Li-2Zn-2Ca （wt%） were melted. During the melting process, the flux, which was composed of lithium chloride （LiCl） and lithium fluoride （LiF） in the proportion of 3：1 （mass ratio） and argon gas were used to protect the alloys from oxidation. The microstructure, mechanical properties, and cold-rolling workability of the wrought alloys were studied. The crystal grain of the alloys （adding Ga） is fine . The hardness of the studied alloys decreases with an increase in element Li. The density of the studied alloys is in the range of 1.187 to 1.617 g/cm^3. The reduction of the Mg-16Li-2Zn and Mg-22Li-2Zn alloys can exceed 85% at room temperature. The Mg-9Li-2Zn-2Ca alloy was heat treated at 300℃ for 8, 12, 16, and 24 h, respectively. The optimum heat treatment of the Mg-9Li-2Zn-2Ca alloy is 300℃×12h by metallographic observation and by studying the mechanical properties of the alloys.

Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of AZ31 Alloys Processed by Residual Heat Rolling

To produce high strength and ductility Mg alloys with high productivity and low energy consumption,the residual heat rolling (RHR) process was initially proposed.The microstucture and mechanical properties of AZ31 processed by RHR were investigated by optical micrscopy (OM),electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD),and electron universal testing machine.The yield strength (YS),ultimate tensile strength (UTS),and elongation to failure of RHRed AZ31 sheet were 194 MPa,311 MPa,and 22%,respectively.The RHRed AZ31 alloys after annealing have very fine and homogeneous grains.The symmetrical rolled (SR) and RHRed AZ31 exhibit typical {0002} basal textures.The RHRed AZ31 has double-peak basal texture distribution.The basal poles of RHRed AZ31 split from normal direction (ND) to rolling direction (RD).There are few hard orientation distributions on the basal slip and more soft orientation distributions on the prismatic slip in the RHRed AZ31 sheets than those in the SRed AZ31sheets.

The Effects of Different Post-Heat Treatments on Rolling Contact Fatigue Behaviors of Direct Laser Cladding Inconel 625 Coatings

In this paper,the microstructures and rolling contact fatigue behaviors of laser cladding Inconel 625 coatings with or without post-heat treatments were analyzed.The results revealed that the fatigue resistance of the laser cladding coating after any post-heat treatment was worse than that of the as-deposited coating.First,through the finite element analysis,the distribution of stress along the thickness direction of the coating was obtained,and it was concluded that the bonding interface between the coating and the matrix had little effect on the fatigue properties of the coating.Then X-ray diffraction(XRD),scanning electron microscopy(SEM)and energy dispersive spectrometry(EDS)were used to analyze the microstructure and failure morphology.The results revealed that the subsurface failure morphology of the coatings showed a consistent correlation with rolling fatigue property after different heat treatments.The TCP phase and carbides have been shown in the laser cladding coating.The coating after stress relieved annealing exhibited chain-shaped granular carbides on the grain boundaries which could accelerate crack propagation.The aging heat treatment made small amounts of Laves phase dissolved in the coating,while the dispersed phase was precipitated which could result in the formation of pores.And the solution treatment made large amounts of Laves phase dissolved,while the rod-shape brittle phases were generated which was easy to fracture and contribute to crack initiation and spalling.

HEAT TRANSFER ANALYSIS DURING ROLLING OF THIN SLAB IN CSP

A mathematical model has been built to numerically predict the thermal history of thin slab during CSP （compact strip process） rolling. To estimate the temperature distribution in the slab mare accurately, the mathematical model combines heat transfer in the slab, in the roll, and at the roll-slab interface during bite. The numerical results agree with on-site running data, which proves the reliabili~, of the mathematical model. The results show that roll chilling has a significant effect on the temperature distribution in the slab.

Changes of crystallinity and spherulite morphology in isotactic polypropylene after rolling and heat treatment

The spherulite morphology of the rolled and subsequent heat-treated isotactic polypropylene （iPP） was observed by polarized microscopy, and the crystallinity evolution of materials was also measured by the wide angle X-ray scattering （WAXS）. Rolling led to the oblate spherulites in the deformed iPP samples. The sheared crystalline lamellae broke apart into sets of crystalline blocks during rolling. As a result, the crystallinity of the iPP samples was greatly reduced during deformation, which induced the unclear spherulites and spherulite boundaries. Subsequent heat treatment resulted in the strong reerystallization of the rolled iPP samples. But the recrystaUizatinn in this work only meant the rearrangement of the macromolecule along the unbroken crystalline lamellae and the existing small crystalline blocks in the deformed spherulites. Heat treatment did not change the shape of the spherulites formed during deformation. The recrystallization also resulted in very clear spherulites and spherulite boundaries.

Numerical Analysis of Rolling-sliding Contact with the Frictional Heat in Rail

Thermal damage caused by frictional heat of rolling-sliding contact is one of the most important failure forms of wheel and rail. Many studies of wheel-rail frictional heating have been devoted to the temperature field, but few literatures focus on wheel-rail thermal stress caused by frictional heating. However, the wheel-rail creepage is one of important influencing factors of the thermal stress In this paper, a thermo-mechanical coupling model of wheel-rail rolling-sliding contact is developed using thermo-elasto-plastic finite element method. The effect of the wheel-rail elastic creepage on the distribution of heat flux is investigated using the numerical model in which the temperature-dependent material properties are taken into consideration. The moving wheel-rail contact force and the frictional heating are used to simulate the wheel rolling on the rail. The effect of the creepage on the temperature rise, thermal strain, residual stress and residual strain under wheel-rail sliding-rolling contact are investigated. The investigation results show that the thermally affected zone exists mainly in a very thin layer of material near the rail contact surface during the rolling-sliding contact. Both the temperature and thermal strain of rail increase with increasing creepage. The residual stresses induced by the frictional heat in the surface layer of rail appear to be tensile. When the creepage is large, the frictional heat has a significant influence on the residual stresses and residual strains of rail. This paper develops a thermo-meehanical coupling model of wheel-rail rolling-sliding contact, and the obtained results can help to understand the mechanism of wheel/rail frictional thermal fatigue.

Effect of rolling and heat treatment on microstructure and properties of Ti-26 sheet

The effect of heat treatment and rolling process on the properties and microstructures of Ti-26(Ti-15V-3Al-3Cr-3Sn-Forming) sheet was studied. The results show that the best rolling temperature for Ti-26 alloy is in the temperature range from 900 ℃ to 950℃. Under this condition,the resistance of deformation and yield ratio are low and the alloy has better hot work ability. The alloy will achieve better mechanical properties and completely recrystallized β microstructure when the deformation ratio is not less than 60% and the solution temperature is 30 ℃ above the phase transformation temperature. The best heat treatment conditions are recommended as:790℃,30 min,AC or WQ followed by 510 ℃,10 h,AC. Under this heat treatment condition the strength of the Ti-26 alloy is 1 230 MPa and the elongation is 15%.

Influence of post-weld heat treatment on the microstructure and hardness of laser weld seams on hot-rolled TRIP 800 steel

The transformation induced plasticity (TRIP) steels effect occurs because of the martensitic transformation of retained austenite during plastic deformation,and it provides the steel with excellent strength and ductility.While welding remains a vital part of auto body manufacturing,the weldability of TRIP steels is problematic,and this prevents its adoption for many applications in the automotive industry.This present work studies the effects of welding and post-weld heat treatment on the microstructure of TRIP steels.It is found that the microstructures of the fusion zone and the heat affected zone (HAZ) are changed after high-temperature heat treatment.Hardness tests revealed that fusion zone hardness decreased with increasing of temperatures in the post-weld heat treatment on the laser weld seam.The rolling performance of the welding seam and the seam of post-weld heat treatment were also studied.

Effect of heat treatment on microstructures and mechanical properties of extruded-rolled AZ31 Mg alloys

The deformation behaviors of extruded-rolled(ER)AZ31 Mg alloys with different rolling reduction and heat treatment were investigated.The results show that the accumulation of rolling reduction increases the density of twins,and refines the grain structures,which are in accordance with the enhanced strength and degraded plasticity.Tensile strength and plasticity of the alloy depend mainly on rolling reduction,while heat treatment temperature plays a more important role than heat treatment time at the same rolling reduction.With the increase of rolling reduction,the plasticity becomes more sensitive than strength on heat treatment. Recrystallization of extruded-rolled alloys will occur easily with deformation increasing,which is induced by addition of distortion energy.

Analysis of surface cracking in water-cooled rolls and heat transfer between furnace chamber and rolls in a direct flame furnace

In the direct fired furnace of a continuous annealing line, seal rolls are susceptible to deformation that leads to surface defects of steel strips. According to failure analysis, the reasons include improper structural design and heat imbalance. An improved design has been proposed to reduce stress concentration and thermal radiation. A heat transfer model has been employed to determine the proper water flow rate for roll cooling. Industrial application proves that seal rolls with the new design has less deformation and longer service life.

Numerical simulation of roll temperature field and analysis of influence factor during the single-stand reversing cold rolling process

Accurate calculation results of roll temperature are the key factors in rolling cooling and lubricating technology during the single-stand reversing cold rolling process. By combining the high-strength steel rolling experiments ,the numerical simulation of roll temperature, and the influence factors in reversing cold rolling were studied. The research results correspond with those of rolling experiments and show that the research method could provide effective instruction for roll cooling and emulsion flow rate control during the on-site rolling process.

Heat Transfer Characteristic of Molten Pool for Twin-Roll Strip Casting

Body-fitted coordinate transformation equation was deduced and used to generate the body-fitted grids of molten pool for twin-roll strip casting.The orthogonality of the grids on the boundary was modified by adjusting source item.The energy equation and the boundary conditions were transformed from physical space to computational space.The velocity field model proposed by Hirohiko Takuda was used to calculate the temperature field of molten steel,and the influence of technical factors was also discussed.

Modeling of Heat Transfer and Solidification of Composite Roll

Modeling of heat transfer and solidification of composite roll was established and used to predict the thermal history and solidification process of roll during spray forming. Evolution of temperature field of the preform and cooling rate in the growing deposit during spray deposition and post-deposition were numerically simulated.

考虑弹头滚转姿态变化影响的防热层厚度优化

基于气动热/结构温度响应耦合计算方法,研究了弹头固定攻角再入条件下锥身典型子午面结构温度响应特性,以及滚转姿态变化时刻对各子午面结构温度响应的影响,建立了考虑弹头滚转姿态变化影响的防热层厚度优化方法,并基于该方法开展了弹头防热层厚度优化。最后,研究了滚转姿态变化次数对优化效果的影响。结果表明:在再入弹道前段进行滚转姿态变化可使外壁面气动加热量更为合理,有效降低弹体锥身壳体内壁面温升。当迎、背风面壳体内壁面最大温升约束为25 K时,与无滚转姿态变化状态下相比,滚转姿态变化设计可使防热层厚度减小0.725 mm,减小幅度为5.4%。通过与滚转姿态变化时刻的联合设计可有效降低锥身防热层厚度。与单次滚转姿态变化时相比,两次滚转姿态变化时防热层厚度减小量仅增大1.9%,增加滚转姿态变化次数对优化效果影响较小。

含分层储能的冷热电联供系统运行优化

为提高冷热电联供型微电网对可再生能源的消纳能力,解决源-荷的不确定性使得系统运行稳定性降低的问题,提出含分层储能的三级混合时间尺度滚动优化方法。日前优化目标为日运行成本最低;日内上层以燃料成本和蓄热罐功率变化惩罚成本最低为目标对冷热能进行优化,下层以电网交互成本和蓄电池功率变化惩罚成本最低为优化目标对电能进行优化;实时电系统反馈以电系统削峰填谷作用量和功率波动量最低为优化目标;得出最优的系统中各设备的出力计划。结果表明:该优化方法和分层储能能够有效达到削峰填谷的作用,各设备功率波动率均处于较低水平;冬季典型日的日运行成本比日前成本有所降低。

台车式热处理炉热处理过程模拟与分析

热处理是轧辊产品生产过程中至关重要的环节,合理的热处理工艺对轧辊质量具有重要影响。采用数值模拟的方法,系统研究了热处理炉中轧辊不同摆放位置对炉内流场、温度场以及轧辊表面温度场的影响,为制定轧辊的精准热处理工艺,以及提高轧辊产品质量奠定基础。