Modeling of unsteadiness of fluid flows and level fluctuations in thin slab continuous casting moulds

Unsteady fluid flows and level fluctuations in a thin slab continuous casting mould have significant influence on product quality. In this study, the phenomena concerning transient flow features and free surface motions were analyzed by means of the large eddy simulation （LES） software with the smagorinsky SGS model--VisualCast （VCast） II, where the Simpler algorithm on a body-fitted mesh was used to resolve governing equations. A series of water analog experiments on the fluid flow and the surface wave in the moulds of thin slab continuous casting were also performed. The results of fluid regions, middle of vortex and level fluctuation from digital simulations were identical with the results of the water analog experiments.

Heat-transfer model on the improvement of continuous casting slab temperature

A heat transfer model on the solidification process has been established onthe basis of the technical conditions of the slab caster in No.3 steel works of Wuhan Iron & SteelCorporation, and the temperature field in the solidifying slab was calculated which was verified bythe measured slab surface temperature. The influences of the main operating factors includingcasting speed, spray cooling patterns, superheat of melt and slab size on the solidification processwere analyzed and the means of enhancing the slab temperature was brought forward. Raising thecasting speed to 1.3 m/min, controlling the flowrate of secondary cooling water and improving thecooling pattern at the lower segments of secondary cooling zone could improve the slab temperatureeffectively. And the increasing the superheat is adverse to the production of high temperature slab.

Physical modeling of gas-liquid interfacial fluctuation in a thick slab continuous casting mold with argon blowing

Combining with the physical model of level fluctuation in a thick slab continuous casting mold with the cross-section of 1500 mm×280 mm and argon blowing, the rationalities of estimating the level fluctuation by three traditional quantitative approaches were discussed, and the effects of gas flowrate, casting speed, and the immersion depth of submerged entry nozzle （SEN） on the level fluctuation were also investigated. As a result, it seems that three traditional quantitative approaches are not very suitable for estimating the level fluctuation in a mold with argon blowing, so a new approach for estimating level fluctuation in the mold with argon blowing was presented. The experimental results show that the level fluctuation is mainly in the region around the nozzle wall. When the casting speeds are larger than a certain value, there is the escape of large bubbles near the nozzle wall, which causes an obvious increase of level fluctuation. Furthermore, optimal process parameters, viz., the gas flowrate of 6 NL/min, the casting speed of 1.1 m/min, and the immersion depth of 170 mm, are presented to restrain the level fluctuation by a physical model.

Mathematical model of heat transfer for bloom continuous casting

A mathematical model for heat transfer during solidification in continuous casting of automobile steel, was established on researching under the influence of the solidifying process of bloom quality of CCM in the EAF steelmaking shop, at Shijiazhuang Iron and Steel Co. Ltd. Several steel grades were chosen to research, such as, 40Cr and 42CrMo. According to the results of the high temperature mechanical property tests of blooms, the respective temperature curves for controlling the solidification of different steels were acquired, and a simulating software was developed. The model was verified using two methods, which were bloom pinshooting and surface strand temperature measuring experiments. The model provided references for research on the solidifying process and optimization of a secondary cooling system for automobile steel. Moreover, it was already applied to real production. The calculated temperature distribution and solidification trend of blooms had offered a reliable theory for optimizing the solidifying process of blooms, increasing withdrawal speed, and improving bloom quality. Meanwhile, a new secondary cooling system was designed to optimize a secondary cooling water distribution, including choice and arrangements of nozzles, calculation of cooling water quantity, and so on. 2008 University of Science and Technology Beijing. All rights reserved.

Mathematical Modelling of Particle Movement Ahead of the Solid-liquid Interface in Continuous Casting

Whether the particle will be trapped by the solid-liquid interface or not is dependent on its moving behavior ahead of the interface, so a mathematical model has been developed to investigate the movement of the particle ahead of the solid-liquid interface. Based on the theory for the boundary layer, the fluid velocity field near the solid-liquid interface was obtained, and the trajectories of particles were calculated by the equations of motion for particles. In this model, the drag force, the added mass force, the buoyance force, the gravitational force, the Saffman force and the Basset history force are considered. The results show that the behavior of the particle ahead of the solid-liquid interface is affected by the physical property of the particle and fluid flow. And in the continuous casting process, if it moves in the stream directed upward or downward near vertical solid-liquid interface or in the horizontal flow under the solid-liquid interface, the particle with the diameter from 5 um to 60um can reach the solid-liquid interface. But if it moves in horizontal flow above the solid-liquid interface, only the particle with the diameter from 5 um to 10 um can reach the solid-liquid interface.

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.

Experimental Study of Fluid Flow in Thin Slab Continuous Caster Mould with Water-Model

Model study is an efficient method for optimizing the siructure of the mould and the submerged entry nozzle (SEN). Based on the similarity criteria, a full-scale water model has been established in accordance with the mould of thin-slab caster of the CSP (Compact Strip Production) operation. The effects of SEN structure including outlet area, outflow angle, nozzle width, thick-ness and immersion depth have been studied under high speed casting by measuring the amplitude and the impetus of top waves. By the orthogonal experiment design, not only the influence of the faCtors was estimated, but also the optimum work condition was judged. The rules of the fluid flow phenomena were summarized. The principle for choosing a reasonable structure of SEN was discussed.

Temperature distribution and dynamic control of secondary cooling in slab continuous casting

To predict and optimize the temperature distribution of slab continuous casting in steady operational state, a three-dimensional model （named ＂offline model＂） based on the heat transfer and solidification theories was developed. Both heat transfer and flux distribution characteristics of the nozzle sprays on the slab were considered, and the complicated boundary conditions, such as spray cooling, natural convection, thermal radiation as well as contact cooling of individual rolls were involved in the model. By using the calibrated caster dependent model factors, the calculated temperature and shell thickness accorded well with the measured. Furthermore, a dynamic secondary water cooling control system was also developed on the basis of a two-dimensional transient heat transfer model （named ＂online model＂） and incremental PID control algorithm to reduce slab surface temperature fluctuation in unsteady state. Compared with the traditional spray table control method, the present online model and dynamic PID control demonstrate a higher capability and flexibility to adjust cooling water flowrate and reduce slab surface temperature fluctuation when the casting speed is changed.

Flow and Temperature Fields in Slab Continuous Casting Molds

In order to develop super-board and super-thick slabs, the flow and temperatur fields were studied in slab continuous casting molds under different practical conditions, such as slab dimensions, with-drawing slab speed, design of nozzles, and superheat tempera-ture. The results showed that it is preferred to incline nozzle bores downwards and the submerged depth of the nozzles is best kept be-tween 250-300 mm. In addition, the solidified shell is thicker at the wide face than that at the narrow face, while the thin points alongthe wide face ekist both in the center and in the some area toward each respective end.

Numerical simulation of the liquid steel flow and solidification phenomena in the slab continuous casting process

A 3D coupling mathematical simulation program of the fluid flow, thermal transfer and solidification was developed based on the slab continuous casting process. Some characteristics such as fluid flow, solidification and temperature distribution near the submerged entry nozzle （SEN） and the corner of the mold were simulated and analyzed. The result of the calculation indicates that the flow of molten metal forms two big cycling zones in the mold after it flows out of the SEN, and the temperature at the center of the two zones is relatively low. Moreover, there is a small narrow cycling zone near the narrow side of the mold due to casting. The velocity of the surface flow, the turbulent kinetic energy and the F value might reveal the relationship between the fluctuation of meniscus and the quality of the slab to some degree.

MATHEMATICAL AND PHYSICAL MODELING OF INTERFACIALPHENOMENA IN CONTINOUS CASTING MOULD WITH ARGONINJECTION THROUGH SUBMERGED ENTRV NOZZLE

The study on the fluid flow, meniscus oscillation, slag entrapment in continuous casting mould was conducted mathematically and experimentally. The results show that the injection of argon into submerged nozzle enhances the meniscus oscillation, thus increases the probability of slag entrapment, and the critical argon blowing flow rate, which will give rise to slag entrapment, is around 10l/min. The trajectory of bubble is affected by the bubble diameter and the molten steel flow, and the bubble diameter is dominant. The bubble with diameter 1.4mm floats fastest with 0.47m/s terminal velocity.

Surface turbulence in a physical model of a steel thin slab continuous caster

In the thin slab continuous casting （TSCC） of steel, the issue of optimum fluid flow is very important due to higher casting speeds and has direct influence on the formation of solidified shells and the quality of final products. In the current work, a full-scale physical mod- eling of a thin slab easter on the basis of dimensionless Reynolds and Froude similarity criteria was constructed. The flow pattern in the funnel shaped mold with a new tetra-furcated submerged entry nozzle （SEN） was investigated. To determinate optimum operational parameters, some experiments were carried out under various casting conditions. The results show that the tetra-furcated design of the nozzle leads to a special flow pattern in the mold cavity with three-dimensional recirculating flow. It is also shown that the increase of casting speed and gas injection results in surface turbulence. On the other hand, using a higher depth of SEN decreases the vortex in the free surface of the caster. To avoid surface turbulent and related casting problems, it is recommended to use 30-cm and 40-cm SEN depth at the casting speeds of 3.5 and 4.5 m/min, respectively.

A Model for Diagnosing the Formation of Internal Cracks in Continuously CastSlabs

The internal cracks in continuously cast slabs are attributed to the excessive tensile strain occurring at the solidifying frontduring the continuous casting process. Based on the understanding, a model for diagnosing the formation of the internal cracks was established, in which the strains at the solidifying front caused by' bulging, straightening or unbending, and roll misalignment were calculated and compared with a critical strain value to estimate whether the internal cracks form. Moreover, the established model was appliedto a real slab caster to reveal the distribution of the strains in casting direction and its effect on the internal cracks. It was proved that themodel was reliable and useful for optimizing the operation of continuous casting.

Establishment and Application of A Mathematical Model for Rectangular Billet Continuos Casting

A two dimension unsteady heat transfer model is established for rectangular billet casting. Solidification process of liquid steel in secondary cooling zone was analyzed using direct difference method. The influence of operation parameters including casting speed and temperature of liquid steel was investigated. Experimental results have been used for increasing the casting speed.

Analysis of three-dimensional vortexes below the free surface in a continuous casting mold

To study fluctuations of the free surface of liquid steel in the mold,two different models with the same casting conditions but different thicknesses were employed to analyze the hydrodynamic behavior at the top of the mold.The first model was a standard thickness slab,and the second had a thickness three times wider.It is found with the second model that above the plane formed by the steel jets,it is possible to observe four three-dimensional vortexes that interact with the submerged entry nozzle（SEN）and mold walls.By using a biphasic model to simulate the interface between the liquid and air inside the mold,the flow asymmetry and the fluctuations of the free surface can be clearly observed.

Effects of calculation approaches for thermal conductivity on the simulation accuracy of billet continuous casting

An unsteady, two-dimensional, explicitly solved fmite difference heat transfer model of a billet caster was presented to clarify the influence of the thermal conductivity of steel on model accuracy. Different approaches were utilized for calculating the thermal conductivity of solid, mushy and liquid steels. Model results predicted by these approaches were compared, and the advantages of advocated approaches were discussed. It is found that the approach for calculating the thermal conductivity of solid steel notably influences model predictions. Convection effects of liquid steel should be considered properly while calculating the thermal conductivity of mushy steel. Different values of the effective thermal conductivity of liquid steel adopted could partly be explained by the fact that different models adopted dissimilar ap- proaches for calculating the thermal conductivity of solid and mushy steels.

INFLUENCES OF CASTING SPEED AND SEN DEPTH ON FLUID FLOW IN THE FUNNEL TYPE MOLD OF A THIN SLAB CASTER

In recent years, thin slab continuous casting technology has been widely used to improve the quality of the product and to reduce the cost. One of the challenges faced by this technology is to design reasonable flow patterns, which strongly affect the surface and inner properties of the final slab in the mold. With the fixed scales and complex geometrical structures of nozzle and funnel type mold, a series of numerical simulations are made to analyze the flow patterns in melt steel using finite volume method based on structured body fitted coordinate grids. The CFD （computational fluid dynamics） package is validated first using one typical case described in previously published studies, and then it is developed to study the effect of operational parameters on fluid flow in thin slab caster. Two operational parameters, casting speed and SEN （submerged entry nozzle） depth, are mainly considered for numerical analysis. On the basis of present simulations, the reasonable SEN submergence depths corresponding to different casting speeds are suggested according to fluid flow characteristics like, flow jet impingement on the narrow side of the mold, flow speed of the melt steel beneath the meniscus and the recirculation region. This is the first stage of study on the numerical analysis of the whole thin slab casting process with electromagnetic brake.

Numerical simulation of semisolid continuous casting process

A general mathematical model and boundary condition applicable to momentum and heat transfer in the semisolid continuous casting(SCC) process was established. Using the model, the numerical simulation of the momentum and heat transfer of molten metal was carried out in the SCC system. The obtained results fit well with the measured ones. Moreover, using the numerical simulating software, the effect of various factors on breakout and breakage was explored. The obtained results show that heat flow density of copper mold and the withdrawal beginning time are two major influencing factors. The larger the heat flow density of copper mold, or the shorter the withdrawal beginning time, the more stable the semisolid continuous casting process. [

Flow stress and constitutive relations of ship plate steel continuous casting slab with solidification end reduction process

In order to describe the thermal–mechanical behavior of the ship plate steel continuous casting slab during solidification end heavy reduction(HR)process accurately,its constitutive behavior was investigated by a single-pass thermal compression experiment.According to the deformation features of wide thick continuous casting slab with HR,the simulation temperature ranged from 1173 to 1573 K with strain rates of 0.0001,0.001,0.01 and 0.1 s^(-1).Three different constitutive models,the modified Johnson–Cook(JC)model,the modified Zerilli–Armstrong(ZA)model and the Arrhenius model,were established according to the obtained true stress–strain curves.The average relative error of the modified JC model,the modified ZA model and the Arrhenius model are 10.82%,9.96%and 6.21%,respectively.Considering the obvious softening effect of the flow curve at a low strain rate,the secondary softening factor under the interaction of low strain rate and the temperature was introduced in the original Arrhenius model.Compared to the Arrhenius model,the modified Arrhenius model error decreased from 6.21%to 4.73%.

Variation of meniscus shape and initial steel solidification under different steel-slag interfacial tension in continuous casting mold of slab

A two-dimensional model was applied to investigate the influence of the interfacial tension between the steel and the slag on the behavior of the meniscus in continuous casting mold of slab.The shape of the meniscus and phenomena near the meniscus were revealed,and the profile of the slag rim and the depth of the solidified meniscus and oscillation marks with different interfacial tension of the steel and slag were compared.With the increase in the interfacial tension,the size of the curved meniscus increased,while the curvature and the height of the local meniscus close to the mold decreased.Besides,the thickness of the slag rim,solid slag and total slag near the meniscus had the tendency to increase,and the bottom of the slag rim became lower and thicker.With the increase in the interfacial tension from 0.1 to 2.5 N/m,the location of the largest heat flux near the meniscus decreased from 10.0 to 2.5 mm above the initial level of the steel,and the largest heat flux was within 3.52-4.58 MW/m^(2).Meanwhile,the largest depth of the solidified meniscus decreased from 3.3 to 2.3 mm,and the depth of oscillation marks decreased,which was conducive to the shallow hook at the subsurface of the slab,and the improvement of surface cleanliness of the slab.