Mathematical model for turbulent flow, heat transfer, and solidification

Abstract

A steady-state, two-dimensional numerical model has been used to describe coupled liquid steel's turbulent flow and heat transfer with solidification for Fe-C binary alloy in a crystallizer of inverse casting. The solid-liquid phase change phenomena have been modeled by using continuum formulations and considering the mushy zone as porous media. The turbulence flow in the crystallizer has been accounted for using a modified version of the low-Reynolds-number κ-ε turbulence model. The flow pattern in the liquid zone and the temperature distribution in the solid, mushy, and liquid regions have been predicted. The numerical analysis indicates that the residence time of the mother sheet in the crystallizer is one of the key parameters. The effects of some other main parameters on the solidification behavior have also been studied, such as the thickness and the initial temperature of the mother sheet, and the superheat degree of liquid steel.