Analysis of a New SEN Design with an Inner Flow Divider

Abstract

To minimize the product imperfections due to slag entrapment and surface defects, the fluid flow pattern inside the mold must be symmetric, commonly named double-roll flow. Thus, the liquid steel must enter into the mold evenly distributed. The submerged entry nozzle (SEN) is crucial in product quality in vertical steel slab continuous casting machines because it distributes the molten steel from the tundish into the mold. This work evaluates the performance of a novel bifurcated nozzle design named “SEN with flow divider”. The symmetry at the outlet ports is obtained by imposing symmetry inside the SEN. The flow divider is a solid barrier attached at the SEN bottom inner wall, the height of which slightly surpasses the upper edges of the outlet ports. The performance analysis is done first using numerical simulations, where the Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) technique and the Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) approach are used. Then, experimental tests on a scaled model are also used to evaluate the SEN performance. Numerical and physical simulations showed that the flow divider considerably reduces the SEN outlet jets’ broadness and misalignment, producing compact, aligned, and symmetric jets. Therefore, the SEN design analyzed in this work is a promising alternative to improve process profitability.

Experimental Analysis of a Slab Continuous-Casting SEN with an Inner Flow Divider

“…The nozzle exit-jet particularities listed previously agree with the analysis presented in Gonzalez et al [18], where the hydrodynamics inside the SEN was studied, and the effect of adding the flow divider was also evaluated. Gonzalez et al [18] showed that three different fluid flow patterns determine the hydrodynamics inside the SEN for the FB and the WB nozzles.…”

“…The nozzle exit-jet particularities listed previously agree with the analysis presented in Gonzalez et al [18], where the hydrodynamics inside the SEN was studied, and the effect of adding the flow divider was also evaluated. Gonzalez et al [18] showed that three different fluid flow patterns determine the hydrodynamics inside the SEN for the FB and the WB nozzles. One pattern is symmetric concerning a vertical plane aligned with the X-X' symmetry axis of the SEN, shown in Figure 2.…”

“…Table 1 reports the operating conditions and the dimensions of the 1:0.333 scaled model used in this work. These values are similar to that employed in [18,25,26].…”

“…On the other hand, Gonzalez et al [18] proposed introducing a wall or barrier inside the SEN to impose symmetry on the nozzle inner flow pattern and the outlet jets' features. The wall was named a flow divider (FD).…”

“…Using numerical simulations, Gonzalez et al [18] showed that the WBFD and the FBFD nozzles render collimated and highly symmetric outlet jets. In addition, physical experiments validated the predicted fluid flow pattern by numerical simulations.…”