Measurement of Molten Steel Velocity near the Surface and Modeling for Transient Fluid Flow in the Continuous Casting Mold

Abstract

In the current work, a rod deflection method (RDM) is conducted to measure the velocity of molten steel near the surface in continuous casting (CC) mold. With the experimental measurement, the flow velocity and direction of molten steel can be obtained. In addition, a mathematical model combining the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and discrete phase method (DPM) has been developed to calculate the transient flow field in a CC mold. The simulation results are compared and validated with the plant measurement results. Reasonable agreements between the measured and simulated results are obtained, both in the trends and magnitudes for the flow velocities of molten steel near the mold surface. Based on the measured and calculated results, the velocity of molten steel near the surface in the mold increases with increasing casting speed and the casting speed can change the flow pattern in the mold. Furthermore, three different types of flow patterns of molten steel in the mold can be obtained. The pattern A is the single-roll-flow (SRF) and the pattern C is the double-roll-flow (DRF). The pattern B is a transition state between DRF and SRF, which is neither cause the vortices nor excessive surface velocity on the meniscus, so the slag entrainment rarely occurs. Argon gas injection can slow down the molten steel velocity and uplift the jet zone, due to the buoyancy of bubbles. Combination of the measurement and numerical simulation is an effective tool to investigate the transient flow behavior in the CC mold and optimize the actual operation parameters of continuous casting to avoid the surface defects of the automobile outer panels.

Optimization of Flow Field in Slab Continuous Casting Mold with Medium Width Using High Temperature Measurement and Numerical Simulation for Automobile Exposed Panel Production

“…This method can measure the magnitudes and directions of velocities at the different positions on the mold surface, and then can determine the flow pattern of the molten steel in the mold according to the direction of the surface velocities. The details about the rod deflecting method for measuring velocities near mold surface can be referred to in our previous work [24]. In the present work, the velocities at two locations on the mold top surface are measured.…”

A Simulation Method for the Optimization of Cooling Water Slot Structure in Slab Continuous Casting Mold Combined With SEN

“…Continuity, momentum and standard k-equations used formulas in Ref [22] , and energy equation that in Ref [11].…”

Ironmaking and Steelmaking

“…Five papers investigated continuous casting process-related topics, covering aspects from solidification mechanism (Slater et al [29]), low fluorine mould flux (Li et al [12], Zeng et al [13]), transient fluid flow in the mould (Zhang et al [14]) and high Al steels (Cui et al [15]).…”