Numerical simulation of fluid flows in a slab continuous casting mold under electromagnetic stirring

This study established a three-dimensional mathematical model to determine the fluid flow in a slab continuous casting mold under an electromagnetic stirring force. The flow structure and distribution were studied with respect to different continuous casting parameters and stirring current. Based on the calculation results, the mold flux entrapment index in free surface and velocity uniformity index were used to evaluate the flow field in the mold. The theoretical basis for the optimization of the flow field structure was provided. The study also suggested an optimization method for electromagnetic stirring parameters.

Analysis of cracking phenomena in continuous casting of 1Cr13 stainless steel billets with final electromagnetic stirring

Solidification cracking that occurs during continuous casting of 1Cr13 stainless steel was investigated with and without final elec- tromagnetic stirring （F-EMS）. The results show that cracks initiates and propagates along the grain boundaries where the elements of carbon and sulfur are enriched. The final stirrer should be appropriately placed at a location that is 7.5 m away from the meniscus, and the appropri- ate thickness of the liquid core in the stirring zone is 50 ram. As a stirring current of 250 A is imposed, it can promote colurnnar-equiaxed transition, decrease the secondary dendrite arm spacing, and reduce the segregation of both carbon and sulfur. F-EMS can effectively de- crease the amount of cracks in 1Cr13 stainless steel.

Effect of electromagnetic stirring on solidification structure of austenitic stainless steel in horizontal continuous casting

An investigation on the influence of low frequency rotary electromagnetic stirring on solidification structure of austenitic stainless steel in horizontal continuous casting was experimentally conducted and carried out on an industrial trial basis. The results show that application of appropriate electromagnetic stirring parameters can obviously improve the macrostructure of austenitic stainless steel, in which both columnar and equiaxed grains can be greatly refined and shrinkage porosity or cavity zone along centerline can be remarkably decreased due to eliminating intracrystalline and enlarging equiaxed grains zone. The industrial trials verify that the electromagnetic stirring intensity of austenitic stainless steel should be higher than that of plain carbon steel. Electromagnetic stirring has somewhat affected the macrostructure of austenitic stainless steel even if the magnetic flux density of the electromagnetic stirring reaches 90 mT （amplitude reaches 141 mT ） in average at frequency f=3-4Hz, which provides a reference for the optimization of design and process parameters when applying the rotary electromagnetic stirrer.

Physical modeling and numerical simulation of electromagnetic stirring in a slab continuous casting mold

Through physical modeling and numerical simulation,the flow field in a slab continuous casting mold with electromagnetic stirring is measured under different casting parameters and stirring currents. To qualitatively evaluate the flow field in the mold, two indexes,i, e., mold flux entrapment and velocity uniformity, are proposed. Based on these two indexes, some optimized stirring parameters under different casting conditions can be determined.

Effect of electromagnetic field on macrosegregation of continuous casting 7075 alloy

The effect of electromagnetic field on macrosegregation of continuous casting aluminum alloy was studied. 7075 aluminum alloy ingot with diameter of 200 mm was produced by electromagnetic casting. Magnitude of coil current was varied from 100 A to 600 A, and frequency from 10 Hz to 100 Hz. Variation of element content along the radius of ingot was examined by means of chemical analysis. The results show that electromagnetic casting process can effectively reduce the macrosegregation, and electromagnetic frequency has a great influence on element distribution along the radius of ingot. When frequency is 30 Hz, macrosegregation is eliminated completely.

Molten steel level stability in continuous casting slab mold under electromagnetic stirring

Fluctuation of molten steel level in continuous casting process is a critical issue. The analytic function for the liquid steel surface stability index( F) of the continuous casting slab mold under the action of electromagnetic stirring was derived. The effects on the F value of the electromagnetic field,casting mold,submerged entry nozzle,and casting speed were observed,and the stability of the process parameters of a practical continuous casting system was evaluated. The main results generated are as follows:①Based on the free flow jet theory,a formula is established for the level stability index of continuous casting slab mold under electromagnetic stirring.②According to the results of calculation,the various parameters in decreasing order of the magnitude of their influence are magnetic flux density,nozzle submersion depth,casting speed,slab width,stirring current frequency,and nozzle side-hole inclination angle.③For practical continuous casting with a slab thickness of 230 mm,the calculated F values are between 3 and 5 for different matches between slab width and casting speed,but the parameter optimization space is much larger for wider slab widths and lower casting speeds.

Effects of vertical electromagnetic stirring on grain refinement and macrosegregation control of bearing steel billet in continuous casting

The grain refinement and macrosegregation control of GCrl5 bearing steel were investigated under a type of rarely-used electromagnetic stirring, vertical electromagnetic stirring （V-EMS）, in continuous casting. V-EMS can create an upward electromagnetic force and generate longitudinal loop convection, which ena- bles the better mixing of the upper part with the lower part of the liquid steel. The results showed that ap- plying V-EMS can enlarge the region of the equiaxed grain, decrease the secondary dendrite arm spacing （SDAS） and reduce the segregation of both carbon and sulfur. After applying V-EMS, liquid steel with a high solute concentration is brought to the dendrite tips, making the dendrite arms partially melt. The length of the dendrite fragment is approximately 1.8 mm, 10 to 12 times the SDAS. Upon increasing the amount of cooling water from 2.0 to 3.5 m3/h, the dendrite fragments exhibit an obvious aggregation fol- lowing V-EMS. Finally, a criterion for dendrite fragmentation under V-EMS was derived based on the dendrite fragmentation theory of Campanella et al.

Numerical simulation of macrosegregation in billet continuous casting influenced by electromagnetic stirring

A three-dimensional numerical model coupling the macrosegregation and magnetohydrodynamic simulations was developed to investigate the effects of electromagnetic stirring(EMS)on the macrosegregation.The results show that a significant swirling flow was induced by the in-mold EMS,which further changed the shape of the solidification shell and homogenized the solute elements in mold.However,the effects were only confined to the initial billet shell.The improvement in centerline segregation was observed with the usage of the final EMS(F-EMS),which led to the forced convection at the final solidification stage.The solute elements in the mushy zone were significantly even,with the maximum segregation degree of solute C reducing from 1.311 to 1.237.In addition,the effects of the stirrer positions and currents of F-EMS on the macrosegregation alleviation were numerically studied.Different values of centerline segregation were predicted with various stirrer positions and currents,and there is an optimum stirrer parameter to obtain the best macrosegregation alleviation.In the experimental conditions,the optimum position was about 7 m away from meniscus,and the optimum current was 300 A.

Numerical simulation of macrosegregation in continuously cast gear steel 20CrMnTi with final electromagnetic stirring

A 3D/2D hybrid multi-physical-field mathematical model,which takes into consideration the thermosolutal buoyance,was developed to predict the macrosegregation of gear steel 20CrMnTi continuously cast by a curved billet caster with size of 160 mm×160 mm,and investigated the effect of final electromagnetic stirring(F-EMS)on the fluid flow,heat transfer and solute distribution in the liquid core of continuously cast steel.The results show that the application of F-EMS eliminates the effect of thermosolutal buoyancy on the asymmetric distribution of carbon concentration in the cross section of billet and accelerates the final solidification of resident molten steel in the liquid core of strand,but promotes the negative carbon segregation near the billet center.When the gear steel 20CrMnTi is cast at the temperature of 1803 K and speed of 1.7 m/min,the solidification end advances forward from 9.84 to 9.72 m,and center carbon segregation ratio of billet decreases from 1.24 to 1.17 with the increase in current density of F-EMS from 0 to 350 A.

Horizontal continuous casting process under electromagnetic field for preparing AA3003/AA4045 clad composite hollow billets

A modified horizontal continuous casting process under the electromagnetic field was proposed for preparing AA3003/ AA4045 clad composite hollow billets. To investigate the effect of electromagnetic field on this process, a comprehensive three-dimensional model was developed. Two cases with and without electromagnetic field were compared using the simulations. When rotating electromagnetic stirring is applied, the flow pattern of fluid melt is greatly modified; the mushy zone becomes much wider, the temperature profile becomes more uniform, and the solid fraction decreases for both the external and internal alloy melt layers. These modifications are beneficial for the formation of a bimetal interface and fine and uniform grain structure of the clad composite hollow billet. Experiments conducted using the same electrical and casting parameters as the simulations verify that under the electromagnetic field the microstructure of the clad composite hollow billet becomes fine and the diffusion of the elements at the interface is promoted.

New method of direct chill casting of Al-6Si-3Cu-Mg semisolid billet by annulus electromagnetic stirring

The electromagnetic direct chill （EMDC） casting process is a welt-established production route for aluminum alloy ingot, however, the skin effect restricts the casting diameter. In order to avoid this problem, annulus electromagnetic direct chill （A-EMDC） casting process has been developed. A three-dimension finite element computational model of A-EMDC casting process was established by using ANSYS Magnetic-Nodal programs and FLOTRAN CFD programs. Microstruetures of A-EMDC casting semi-solid Al-6Si-3Cu-Mg alloy billets were investigated. Two pairs of vortexes occur within the crystallizer with opposite direction in A-EMDC. The annulus gap is advantageous to increasing circulate flow, reducing the temperature gradient as well as shallowing liquid sump depth. The microstructure obtained by A-EMDC is globular or rosette-like, and the microstructure is homogeneous in the billet.

Effect of low-frequency rotary electromagnetic-field on solidification structure of continuous casting austenitic stainless steel

To understand the solidification behavior of austenitic stainless steel in rotary electromagnetic-field, the influence of low-frequency rotary electromagnetic-field on solidification structure of austenitic stainless steel in horizontal continuous casting was investigated based on industrial experiments. The results show that the solidification structure of austenitic stainless steel can be remarkably refined, the central porosity and shrinkage cavity can be remarkably decreased, and the equiaxed grains zone are enlarged by means of application of appropriate low-frequency electromagnetic-field parameters. The industrial trials verify that the stirring intensity of austenitic stainless steel should be higher compared with that of plain carbon steel. Electromagnetic stirring affects the macrostructure even if the average magnetic flux density of the electromagnetic stirring reaches 90 mT (amplitude reaches 141 mT) with the frequency of 3-4 Hz. Due to a higher viscosity, rotating speed of molten stainless steel is 20%-30% lower than that of molten carbon steel in the same magnetic flux density.

Solidification Structure of Continuous Casting Large Round Billets under Mold Electromagnetic Stirring

The solidification structure of a continuous casting large round billet was analyzed by a cellular-automaton-finite-element coupling model using the ProCAST software. The actual and simulated solidification structures were compared under mold electromagnetic stirring （MEMS） conditions （current of 300 A and frequency of 3 Hz）. Thereafter, the solidification structures of the large round billet were investigated under different superheats, casting speeds, and secondary cooling intensities. Finally, the effect of the MEMS current on the solidification structures was obtained under fixed superheat, casting speed, secondary cooling intensity, and MEMS frequency. The model accurately simulated the actual solidification structures of any steel, regardless of its size and the parameters used in the continuous casting process. The ratio of the central equiaxed grain zone was found to increase with decreasing superheat, increasing casting speed, decreasing secondary cooling intensity, and increasing MEMS current. The grain size obviously decreased with decreasing superheat and increasing MEMS current but was less sensitive to the casting speed and secondary cooling intensity.

Comparison and integration of final electromagnetic stirring and thermal soft reduction on continuous casting billet

Final electromagnetic stirring(F-EMS)and thermal soft reduction(TSR)are techniques that improve the inner quality of continuous casting billets,but they have rarely been applied simultaneously.The application effects of F-EMS and TSR were compared,and a process integrating F-EMS and TSR was adopted for a billet continuous caster.A heat transfer model was established to calculate the thermal behavior of 82A tire cord steel billet.The locations of F-EMS and TSR were determined,followed by conducting a series of plant trials,involving F-EMS alone,TSR alone,and the integrated process of F-EMS and TSR.The results showed that F-EMS or TSR could effectively improve the inner quality of the billet under their respective suitable working conditions.Moreover,F-EMS was found to be more helpful in terms of improving central segregation,while TSR tended to improve V-segregation,central porosity,and pipe.The integration of F-EMS and TSR allowed the advantages of each technique to be utilized,thereby better improving the inner quality.Among all the working conditions,82A steel billet showed optimum inner quality when the current of F-EMS was 240 A and the cooling intensity of TSR was 2.2 m^(3) h^(−1).These findings demonstrate that the integration of F-EMS and TSR is promising for application on continuous casting billets.

Effect of vertical electromagnetic stirring on solute distribution in billet continuous casting process

A volume averaged columnar solidification model,which couples the flow,temperature and solute concentration fields,is applied to simulate experimental continuous casting cases with and without vertical electromagnetic stirring(V-EMS).The calculated distribution of magnetic induction intensity and final macrosegregation maps are consistent with the experimental results.Calculation results reveal that the V-EMS promotes longitudinal melt flow,accelerates heat dissipation and solidification and finally reduces the central segregation of carbon.However,when V-EMS is applied,the solute distribution becomes asymmetric because the melt flow shows opposite directions between the near and far sides from stirrer.An obvious positive segregation band is observed at about 1/4 width of the billet near the stirrer in both calculated and experimental results.The position and degree of such positive segregation could be affected by installation height of stirrer,as demonstrated by additional simulation cases.

Application and Numerical Simulation of Electromagnetic Stirring in Secondary Cooling Zone During Continuous Casting of Ultra-Thick Slab

The segregation of solute elements at solidification front could be greatly improved by application of electromagnetic stirring(SEM)in secondary cooling zone.The location of SEM in secondary cooling zone affects the operational effect.In the present study,based on the application of SEM in Ultra-thick slab continuous casting,the shell thickness was calculated by self-programming code and the results were verified by nail-shooting test.A numerical model was established to calculate the fluid flow of molten steel under shell to determine the suitable SEM location in secondary cooling zone.The results shows that the velocity of molten steel increases with increase of stirring current which enhance the circulatory flow of unset steel at solidification front.Whereas,in order to fully develop ability of SEM it is necessary to select suitable stirring current and mode for ultra-thick slab casting.This calculation provides theoretical base for application of SEM in secondary cooling zone during ultra-thick slab casting process.

The Spatial and Temporal Evolution Behavior of Fluid Flow in Round Strands Continuous Casting Under Intermittently Reversing Direction Electromagnetic Stirring

Liquid metal flow behavior in round strands continuous casting under intermittently reversing direction electromagnetic stirring was measured by ultrasonic Doppler velocity-meter in a physical simulation system in order to investigate the effects of time interval(t_i)of periodically reversed magnetic field on the spatial and temporal flow.The results show that under electromagnetic stirring with direction reserved magnetic field,there's a periodically change of the metal flow velocity and rotation direction with the periodically direction changing of the magnetic field.From both the experimental and mathematical model calculation results,it is found that when t_i is nearly equal to the time required for the metal flow speeding to the maximum velocity from still and decreases to zero again,there is a critical value of the rate of dynamic pressure,which means the wash effect of the liquid metal flow.On this point,rate of dynamic pressure was proposed to be a criterion for optimization the processing of electromagnetic stirring.

Model prediction of the effect of in-mold electromagnetic stirring on negative segregation under bloom surface

Aiming at the problem of negative segregation under a bloom surface, a coupling macrosegregation model considering electromagnetic field, flow, heat, and solute transport was established based on the volume average method to study the effect of in-mold electromagnetic stirring(M-EMS) on the negative segregation under the bloom surface. In the model, the influence of dendrite structure on the flow and solute transport was described by the change of permeability. The model was validated by the magnetic induction intensity of M-EMS and carbon segregation experiment. The results show that the solute C in the solidified shell in the turbulent zone of the bloom undergoes two negative segregations, whereby the first is caused by nozzle jet, and the second by the M-EMS. The severities of the negative segregation caused by M-EMS at different currents and frequencies are also different, and the larger the current is, or the smaller the frequency is, the more serious will be the negative segregation.With the M-EMS, the solute C distribution in the liquid phase of the bloom is more uniform, but the mass fraction of C in the liquid phase is higher than that without M-EMS.

Numerical simulation of flow and solidification in continuous casting process with mold electromagnetic stirring

The magnetic,heat transfer and flow phenomenon occurring in the continuous casting process under the mold electromagnetic stirring was further analyzed by solving the 3-D electromagnetic field mathematical model and flow solidification model with finite element method and finite volume method,respectively.The results indicate that the solidified shell thickness located in the effective stirring region fluctuates because of the unsteady scouring under the mold electromagnetic stirring.The maximum rotational velocity is a key parameter to the solidification of the billet when controlling the stirring intensity.When the rotational velocity reaches 0.32 m/s,the mush zone enlarges significantly and the solidification rate is further accelerated.The number of vortexes in the lower recirculation zone is not only two and depends on the stirring parameters.Besides,the secondary flow is closely associated with the solidification.Compared with the results of the model ignoring the influence of solidification on the flow of molten steel,the flow pattern within the lower recirculation region changes dramatically,and thus a coupling analysis of the flow,heat transfer,and solidification is essential when simulating the electromagnetic continuous casting process.

Effect of final electromagnetic stirring on solidification microstructure of GCr15 bearing steel in simulated continuous casting

The effect of final electromagnetic stirring on the solidification structure,element segregation,and carbides of GCrl5 bearing steel was investigated.The experiment of continuous casting of the steel was carried out by using a continuous casting physical simulation apparatus with the final electromagnetic stirring.The liquid core profile was revealed by the pour-out method during the solidification process.Eight ingots were produced under different electromagnetic stirring parameters for comparison.The results show that,at the final stage of solidification,intense electromagnetic stirring exacerbates the central carbon segregation,resulting in more serious precipitation of the primary carbides.It is also found that the carbides in the segregation area are dominantly M3C type,together with a small amount of M7C3-type and M3C2-type carbides.In this physical simulation model,the optimal stirring parameters to obtain a fine and homogeneous structure are the liquid pool width of 15 mm,current intensity of 150 A,and stirring frequency of 5 Hz.