Water model study on fluid flow in slab continuous casting mould with solidified shell

Abstract

A water modelling experiment was conducted to study the fluid flow in a continuous slab casting mould with solidified shell. The level fluctuation, residence time distribution and velocity of free surface have been varied in the water model to study the differences of flow behaviour between the mould with a shell and without a shell. The results show that the mould with a solidified shell has higher level fluctuations, higher surface velocities and worse liquid slag distribution. The tapering of the shell in the mould enabled downward flow to facilitate more fluid being ‘pushed’ into the upper recirculation zone, yielding higher velocities and greater turbulence at the top surface. With the consideration of the solidified shell, the fluid flow in the mould is more representative of real casters, and the physical modelling results will be more accurate and reliable. It may cause unrealistic lower surface level fluctuations and surface velocities in the water model when the solidified shell is neglected in the mould.     

凝固坯壳对高拉速板坯连铸结晶器液面特征的影响

采用1:1的水模型研究了高拉速条件下凝固坯壳对结晶器内的流场与液面特征的影响.结果表明:考虑凝固坯壳时结晶器内的流场出现了轻微的不对称现象,在高拉速条件下（2.4 m·min-1）,有坯壳时结晶器液面最大平均波高与表面流速比没有坯壳时分别大31%和35%.对比有/无坯壳条件下自由液面形状可知:考虑凝固坯壳之后的液面变形程度比没有考虑时更大,更易导致卷渣的发生.液面波动的功傅里叶变换分析表明:考虑坯壳之后结晶器液面的高频率波动的振幅大于无坯壳的情形,所以考虑坯壳之后由于结晶器下部内腔变小,更多的流股能量集中在上回流区,使得上回流的湍流程度比无坯壳时要大,进而导致了液面波动与表面流速的增大.因此,为了缩小与实际连铸过程的差别,在高拉速的物理模拟中有必要考虑凝固坯壳的影响.      

凝固坯壳对高拉速板坯连铸结晶器钢水流动特征的影响

 采用全比例的水力学模型,利用刺激-响应法、波高传感器、流速仪研究了考虑凝固坯壳时高拉速板坯连铸结晶器内的钢水流动、液面特征与卷渣特征。结果表明：考虑凝固坯壳后钢液到达液面的时间缩短;在高拉速条件下(2.4 m/min), 有坯壳时结晶器液面最大平均波高与表面流速比没有坯壳时分别大31 % 和17.5 %,使卷渣更容易发生。其主要原因在于考虑坯壳后结晶器下部钢液的自由流动空间变小,下回流的钢液流动受到抑制,上回流的能量变大。所以在高拉速结晶器水模拟试验过程中,有必要考虑凝固坯壳的影响。     

Investigation of Fluid Flow and Steel Cleanliness in the Continuous Casting Strand

Fluid flow in the mold region of the continuous slab caster at Panzhihua Steel is investigated with 0.6-scale water model experiments, industrial measurements, and numerical simulations. In the water model, multiphase fluid flow in the submerged entry nozzle (SEN) and the mold with gas injection is investigated. Top surface level fluctuations, pressure at the jet impingement point, and the flow pattern in the mold are measured with changing submergence depth, SEN geometry, mold width, water flow rate, and argon gas flow rate. In the industrial investigation, the top surface shape and slag thickness are measured, and steel cleanliness including inclusions and the total oxygen (TO) content are quantified and analyzed, comparing the old and new nozzle designs. Three kinds of fluid flow pattern are observed in the SEN: “bubbly flow,” “annular flow,” and an intermediate critical flow structure. The annular flow structure induces detrimental asymmetrical flow and worse level fluctuations in the mold. The SEN flow structure depends on the liquid flow rate, the gas flow rate, and the liquid height in the tundish. The gas flow rate should be decreased at low casting speed in order to maintain stable bubbly flow, which produces desirable symmetrical flow. Two main flow patterns are observed in the mold: single roll and double roll. The single-roll flow pattern is generated by large gas injection, small SEN submergence depth, and low casting speed. To maintain a stable double-roll flow pattern, which is often optimal, the argon should be kept safely below a critical level. The chosen optimal nozzle had 45-mm inner bore diameter, downward 15 deg port angle, 2.27 port-to-bore area ratio, and a recessed bottom. The pointed-bottom SEN generates smaller level fluctuations at the meniscus, larger impingement pressure, deeper impingement, and more inclusion entrapment in the strand than the recess-bottom SEN. Mass balances of inclusions in the steel slag from slag and slab measurements show that around 20 pct of the alumina inclusions are removed from the steel into the mold slag. However, entrainment of the mold slag itself is a critical problem. Inclusions in the steel slabs increase twofold during ladle changes and tenfold during the start and end of a sequence. All of the findings in the current study are important for controlling slag entrainment.     

连铸板坯结晶器液面波动及冲击深度水模型研究

为评价现有浸入式水口设计是否合理,通过几何相似比1:2的水模型对拉速0.8～1.7 m/min,断面为230 mm×(900～2 150)mm的板坯结晶器液面波动和冲击深度进行了模拟实验。结果表明,现行结晶器在5种不同断面下液面较平稳,模型中波高都在1.5 mm以内(相当于原型3 mm以内),保护渣渣层平稳,液渣层分布较均匀;而当低拉速、小断面时,即使冲击深度较低,液面波动也小于0.5 mm(相当于原型小于1 mm),导致渣-钢界面活跃不够,化渣不良,甚至可能造成液面结壳,故有必要对现有浸入式水口进行优化改造。     

160 mm×160 mm小方坯连铸结晶器内流场数值模拟

采用Fluent软件对断面为160 mm×160 mm小方坯结晶器建立了三维稳态数学模型,以结晶器表面流速以及结晶器内钢液的流场状态为主要参考目标,模拟研究了160 mm×160 mm小方坯结晶器在不同拉速条件下相适应的水口浸入深度,并对数值模拟结果相应地进行了水模拟验证。结果表明,当小方坯结晶器的拉速为1.7 ～1.9 m/min、浸入深度为80～100 mm时,结晶器内流场较为适宜,不会因液面波动剧烈而造成卷渣等问题。研究结果为小方坯连铸结晶器制定合理的浇注工艺提供了理论指导。     

Properties of High Basicity Mold Fluxes for Peritectic Steel Slab Casting

 In high speed continuous casting of peritectic steel slabs, mold fluxes with high basicity are required for less surface defect product. However, the basicity of remaining liquid slag film tends to decrease in casting process because of the crystallization of 3CaO·2SiO2·CaF2. Thus, a way is put forward to improve mold fluxes′ properties by raising the original basicity. In order to confirm the possibility of this method, the effect of rising original basicity on the properties of mold fluxes is discussed. Properties of high fluorine based mold fluxes with different basicities and contents of CaF2, Na2O, and MgO were measured, respectively. Then, properties of higher basicity mold fluxes were discussed and compared with traditional ones. The results show that increasing the basicity index can improve the melting and flow property of mold fluxes. With the increasing basicity, crystallization rate of mold fluxes increases obviously and crystallization temperature tends to decrease when the basicity exceeds 1.35. The method presented before is proved as a potential way to resolve the contradiction between horizontal heat transfer controlling and solidified shell lubricating for peritectic steel slab casting. But further study on improving the flow property of liquid slag is needed. This work can be used to guide mold fluxes design for high speed continuous casting of peritectic steel slabs.     

Effects of a Magnetic Field on Turbulent Flow in the Mold Region of a Steel Caster

Electromagnetic braking (EMBr) greatly influences turbulent flow in the continuous casting mold and its transient stability, which affects level fluctuations and inclusion entrainment. Large eddy simulations are performed to investigate these transient flow phenomena using an accurate numerical scheme implemented on a graphics processing unit. The important effect of the current flow through the conducting solid steel shell on stabilizing the fluid flow pattern is investigated. The computational model is first validated with measurements made in a scaled physical model with a low melting point liquid metal and is then applied to a full-scale industrial caster. The overall flow field in the scale model was matched in the real caster by keeping only the Stuart number constant. The free surface-level behaviors can be matched by scaling the results using a similarity criterion based on the ratio of the Froude numbers. The transient behavior of the mold flow reveals the effects of EMBr on stability of the jet, top surface velocities, surface-level profiles, and surface-level fluctuations.     

15CrMoG钢棒材表面缺陷机理分析和工艺改进

分析得出,棒材表面细小纵裂纹和表面裂口缺陷产生于铸坯加热之前,且与结晶器弯月面保护渣有关。利用Thermo-Calc热力学软件计算15CrMoG钢凝固相变过程,结合亚包晶钢连铸凝固特点综合分析15CrMoG钢棒材表面缺陷的产生原因和产生机理。结果表明:15CrMoG钢在固相线温度附近发生包晶反应L+δ→γ和包晶转变δ→γ,不仅导致初生坯壳生长不均匀,而且加剧P、S元素在凝固前沿的偏析。而初生坯壳不均匀是导致棒材表面缺陷根本原因。棒材表面细小纵裂纹产生于结晶器内坯壳薄弱处,经过二冷和轧制工序在夹杂物和硫偏聚处扩展长大。棒材表面裂口缺陷是初生坯壳不均匀导致结晶器内液面波动大,造成铸坯夹渣所致。通过控制[C]0.16%～0.17%、[S]≤0.005%、保护渣碱度1.2、熔点≥1200℃、粘度≥1.0Pa·s,260 mm×30mm铸坯水量150 m³/h,拉速0.5 m/min等措施,裂纹合格探伤合格率由原45%提高至98%。     

Heat-transfer and solidification model of continuous slab casting: CON1D

A simple, but comprehensive model of heat transfer and solidification of the continuous casting of steel slabs is described, including phenomena in the mold and spray regions. The model includes a one-dimensional (1-D) transient finite-difference calculation of heat conduction within the solidifying steel shell coupled with two-dimensional (2-D) steady-state heat conduction within the mold wall. The model features a detailed treatment of the interfacial gap between the shell and mold, including mass and momentum balances on the solid and liquid interfacial slag layers, and the effect of oscillation marks. The model predicts the shell thickness, temperature distributions in the mold and shell, thickness of the resolidified and liquid powder layers, heat-flux profiles down the wide and narrow faces, mold water temperature rise, ideal taper of the mold walls, and other related phenomena. The important effect of the nonuniform distribution of superheat is incorporated using the results from previous three-dimensional (3-D) turbulent fluid-flow calculations within the liquid pool. The FORTRAN program CONID has a user-friendly interface and executes in less than 1 minute on a personal computer. Calibration of the model with several different experimental measurements on operating slab casters is presented along with several example applications. In particular, the model demonstrates that the increase in heat flux throughout the mold at higher casting speeds is caused by two combined effects: a thinner interfacial gap near the top of the mold and a thinner shell toward the bottom. This modeling tool can be applied to a wide range of practical problems in continuous casters.     

Mathematical modelling of slag entrainment and entrained droplets in a continuous casting mould

ABSTRACT

The transient behaviour of the slag layer plays an essential role in the entrainment of slag droplets inside a continuous casting mould. In the current study, a mathematical model using Volume of Fluid-Large Eddy Simulation (VOF-LES) was developed for transient phenomena associated with slag entrainment in a water experiment. The accuracy of the model was verified by comparing the velocities with the available measurement from the literature. The effects of various conditions on free surface fluctuations in the liquid slag layer and transient behaviours of entrained slag droplets were quantified. Finally, the relationships between operating parameters and the size distributions and the amount of entrained slag droplets were investigated using a Fluent User Defined Function (UDF). With increased casting speed, or decreased SEN immersion depth, the size distributions of the slag droplets broadened, and the amounts thereof increased accordingly.     

水口类型对大方坯结晶器内钢水流动与凝固行为的影响

采用数值计算方法对比研究了直通式、4分径向以及新型4分切向水口对大方坯连铸结晶器内钢水流动与凝固行为的影响.结果表明,当前常用的直通式水口对坯壳无冲击,利于坯壳均匀生长,但钢水冲击深度大,易在弯月面处形成死区,不利于大方坯内部及表面质量的提高;改用4分水口浇铸时,结晶器宽、窄面冲击区附近都会出现不同程度的坯壳厚度零增长...     

不同宽度板坯结晶器内流场的水模型和数值模拟研究

采用1:0.8比例水模型和基于Fluent软件的数值模拟,实验研究了190 mm×(1500～1900)mm宽板坯连铸结晶器的流场。结果表明,在钢水流量不变的情况下,随着结晶器断面宽度的增加,流股的冲击深度增加,流股涡心高度降低,结晶器表面流速、液面波动、流股对结晶器窄面的壁面剪切力均减小,卷渣和液面裸露几率逐渐降低。在钢水流量不变的情况下,随着结晶器断面宽度的增加,若采用同一水口,可以适当减小水口插入深度。     

连铸结晶器内弥散氩气泡的瞬态运动和捕捉行为

针对连铸结晶器内弥散氩气泡的瞬态运动和捕捉行为,发展了耦合流动-传热凝固-气泡运动的大涡模拟模型,研究了结晶器凝固坯壳内钢液的非稳态湍流场和氩气泡的瞬态运动特征.结果表明,凝固坯壳对结晶器内钢液流场有较大影响,液相区内钢液流动不对称,导致气泡的运动和捕捉位置分布不均匀;小尺寸的气泡更容易运动到液相穴较深的区域;且随着拉...     

基于数值模拟的结晶器卷渣在线预测方法

 结晶器保护渣卷入到钢液中后容易被生长的凝固坯壳捕获,最终在冷轧板上形成由卷渣引起的表面缺陷,会严重恶化钢产品的质量。结晶器液面卷渣现象受到钢液成分、温度、流动方式和吹氩流量的影响。结晶器表面钢液流速大小是反映钢渣界面是否发生卷渣的重要参数,但在实际浇铸过程中,不能在线预测不同拉速、吹氩流量和水口浸入深度下结晶器表面钢液的最大速度。提出一种基于板坯连铸结晶器内多相流动数值模拟的结晶器卷渣在线预测方法。首先,建立结晶器内三维多相流动数学模型,模拟不同拉速、吹氩流量和水口浸入深度下的钢液流动行为;其次,对计算得到的表面钢液流速的最大值进行拟合,得到固定浇铸断面下结晶器表面最大流速的预测公式;最后,通过某钢厂的插钉板工业试验验证了所提方法的准确性。研究发现,不同浇铸参数下表面钢液流速沿结晶器宽度方向呈现先增加再减小的变化趋势,在结晶器宽度1/4位置具有最大值。钢液流速在较小和较大拉速下分别在窄面和水口附近具有较大值;在较小和较大吹氩流量下分别在水口和窄面附近具有较大值;随着水口浸入深度增加,钢液流速在水口和窄面附近变化较小。基于拟合的钢液流速公式,通过比较最大钢液流速与钢渣界面发生卷渣的临界流速,实现了结晶器卷渣的在线预报。     

连铸结晶器内卷渣模拟方法研究

以重钢板坯连铸结晶器为研究对象,选用不同液面保护渣模拟材料进行实验,并结合实际生产结晶器内保护渣覆盖状况观察结果,得出水模实验过程中合理的液面保护渣模拟方法;在此基础上建立起结晶器内液面波动大小与保护渣覆盖状态的关系,结果表明在实际操作中结晶器内液面波动在3—7mm范围内,可得到比较理想的保护渣覆盖效果。     

特大圆坯连铸用新型浸入式水口的设计与研究

 针对特大截面圆坯连续浇铸的特点,基于依靠浸入式水口自身结构减小钢流冲击深度,同时保证流动与传热沿周向分布均匀的思想,首次提出了新型浸入式伞形水口设计方案,并建立了结晶器内钢水的流-热-固耦合模型,对钢水的流动、传热和凝固行为进行了数值耦合模拟分析,验证了此水口的优越性与合理性：伞形水口的射流在结晶器内形成上下两个回流区,不仅有利于夹杂物、气体等的上浮分离,还能有效降低钢流冲击深度,使过热钢液均匀分布在结晶器上部,可提高弯月面温度和化渣效果;沿周向凝壳生长均匀,减轻了纵裂纹的萌生概率;在0.35m/min拉速下,出结晶器凝壳厚度达到31.2mm,满足安全生产要求。     

Modeling transient slag-layer phenomena in the shell/mold gap in continuous casting of steel

Mold-slag friction and fracture may cause heat-transfer variations in continuous casting, which leads to steel shell temperature and stress variations, resulting in surface cracks. Analytical transient models of liquid slag flow and solid slag stress have been coupled with a finite-difference model of heat transfer in the mold, gap, and steel shell to predict transient shear stress, friction, slip, and fracture of the slag layers. The models are validated by comparing with numerical models and plant measurements of mold friction. Using reported slag-fracture strength and time-temperature-transformation (TTT) diagrams, the models are applied to study the effect of casting speed and mold-powder viscosity properties on slag-layer behavior between the oscillating mold wall and the solidifying steel shell. The study finds that liquid-slag lubrication would produce negligible stresses. A lower mold-slag consumption rate leads to high solid friction and results in solid-slag-layer fracture and movement below a critical value. Crystalline slag tends to fracture near the meniscus and glassy slag tends to fracture near the mold exit. A medium casting speed may be the safest to avoid slag fracture, due to its having the lowest critical lubrication consumption rate. The high measured friction force in operating casters could be due to three sources: an intermittent moving solid slag layer, excessive mold taper, or mold misalignment. Other symbols are defined in Table I     

板坯连铸水口内钢液流动的数值模拟

 运用CFX计算软件研究了大通钢量工况下板坯浸入式水口流场,分析了水口结构、结晶器流动控制方式、水口吹氩等对浸入式水口流场的影响。研究表明,适宜的水口结构和控流方式组合能获得最优的水口出口流股形态和稳定均衡的流场。在大通钢量下,塞棒、底部凸起水口结构是最佳组合。不适宜的工艺组合形成并加重水口偏流,造成结晶器初始坯壳的不均匀冲刷和液面涡流,进一步诱发水口堵塞、水口结瘤、结晶器非稳态和不均衡传热,最终导致铸坯缺陷甚至诱发拉漏事故。     

连铸结晶器内钢液流动、凝固和夹杂物的分布

 建立并求解动量、热量和质量传输耦合模型,研究了连铸结晶器内钢液流动、传热、凝固、溶质输送和夹杂碰撞长大行为。数值结果表明,受钢液流动的影响,在连铸机内钢液温度、碳浓度和夹杂物的空间分布与钢水流动特征相似,也可分为上下两个循环区。但是其分布具有各自的特点。在涡心处,钢液温度较低,碳浓度较高,夹杂物体积浓度和数量密度较低。在弯月面处,钢液温度较低,碳浓度较高,夹杂物的体积浓度和数量密度较低。在结晶器出口处的凝固坯壳内,夹杂物的浓度和数量密度分布极不均匀,存在阶跃现象,这与冲击点处凝固坯壳的重熔有关。