The Effect of Turbulence Inhibitor Design on the Movement of Liquid Steel in a Tundish - Modelling Studies
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24425/afe.2025.153779Abstract
The article presents model test results on the flow of liquid steel through a CSC (Continuous Steel Casting) tundish equipped with various TI (Turbulence Inhibitors) designs. The tests were carried out using a physical water model of the CSC device made in accordance with the principles of similarity on a linear scale of 1:2.5 in relation to the industrial device. The tests were conducted in two stages: qualitative - visualization and quantitative - determination of RTD (Residence Time Distribution) curves. A tracer in form of an aqueous solution of KMnO4 was used for visualization, while an aqueous solution of NaCl was used to determine RTD curves. The aim of the tests was to determine the effect of the geometry of four types of turbulence inhibitors (TI) on the formation of the mechanism of model liquid flow in the working space of the water model of the tundish and to interpret the results from the point of view of obtaining specific casting parameters under industrial conditions. The following casting parameters were assumed: risk of dead zones, conditions conducive to the formation of the required primary structure of billets identical in all outlets, the ability to microrefine and homogenize steel in chemical terms.References
[1] Kudliński, Z. (2006). Steel casting technologies (Technologie odlewania stali). University Press of the Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice. (in Polish).
[2] Lis, T. (2009). Metallurgy of high-purity steel (Metalurgia stali o wysokiej czystości). University Press of the Silesian University of Technology, Gliwice. (in Polish).
[3] Irwing, W.R. (1993). Continuous casting of steel. London: Publishing of the Institute of Materials.
[4] Louhenkilpi, S. (2024). Continuous casting of steel. In Treatise on process metallurgy vol. 3: Industrial Processes (pp. 373-434). Publishing of the Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden.
[5] Bulko, B., Priesol, I., Demeter, P., Gašparovic, P., Baricová, D. & Hrubovcáková, M. (2018). Geometric modification of the tundish impact point. Metals. 8(1), 944, 1-11. DOI:10.3390/met8110944.
[6] Cwudziński, A. (2015). Numerical simulation of the liquid steel alloying process in a one-strand tundish with different addition positions and flow control devices. Metallurgical Research & Technology. 112(3), 308. DOI: 10.1051/metal/2015016.
[7] Zhu, M., Peng, S., Jiang, K., Luo, J., Zhong, Y. & Tang, P. (2022) Fluid flow and heat transfer behaviors under non-isothermal conditions in a four-strand tundish. Metals. 12(5), 840, 1-15. DOI: 10.3390/met12050840.
[8] Ling, H. & Zhang, L. (2013). Numerical simulation of the growth and removal of inclusions in the molten steel of a two-strand tundish. JOM. 2013. 65(9), 1155-1163. DOI: 10.1007/s11837-013-0689-x.
[9] Morales, R.D., Guarneros, J., Chattopadhyay, K., Nájera-Bastida, A. & Rodríguez, J. (2019). Fluid flow control in a billet tundish during steel filling operations. Metals. 9(3), 394, 1-13. DOI:10.3390/met9040394.
[10] Wang, K., Tie, Z., Cai, S., Wang, H., Tang, H. & Zhang, J. (2023). Flow control to a t-shaped five strand tundish for ist overall enhanced metallurgical effects with an approachable identical product quality. ISIJ International. 63(8), 1351-1359. DOI: 10.2355/isijinternational.ISIJINT-2023-008.
[11] Bulko, B., Molnár, M., Demeter, P., Baricová, D., Pribulová, A., Futás, P. (2018). Study of the influence of intermix conditions on steel cleanliness. Metals. 8(10), 852, 1-9. DOI:10.3390/met8100852.
[12] Merder, T. & Pieprzyca, J. (2011). Numerical modeling of the influence subflux controller of turbulence on steel flow in the tundish. Metalurgija. 50(4), 223-226.
[13] Morales, R.D., García-Hernández, S., Barreto Sandoval, J., Ceballos-Huerta, A., Ramos, I.C., Gutiérrez, E. (2016). Multiphase flow modeling of slag entrainment during ladle change operation. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B. 47(4), 2595-2606. DOI:10.1007/s11663-016-0663-4.
[14] Neumann, S., Asad, A. & Schwarze, R. (2020). Numerical simulation of an industrial-scale prototypical steel melt tundish considering flow control and cleaning strategies. Advanced Engineering Materials. 22(2), 1900658, 1-11. DOI:10.1002/adem.201900658.
[15] Sheng, D.Y. & Windisch, C. (2022). A simulation-based digital design methodology for studying conjugate heat transfer in tundish. Metals. 12 (1), 62, 1-21. DOI:10.3390/met12010062.
[16] Qin, X., Cheng, C., Li, Y., Wu, W. & Jin, Y. (2022). Bubble behaviour under a novel metallurgy process coupling an annular gas curtain with swirling flow at tundish upper nozzle. Journal of Materials Research and Technology. 21(10), 3195-3206. DOI: 10.1016/j.jmrt.2022.10.100.
[17] Yamamoto, T., Suzuki, A., Komarova, S.V. & Ishiwata, Y. (2018). Investigation of impeller design and flow structures in
mechanical stirring of molten aluminum. Journal of Materials Processing Technology. 261, 164-172. DOI: 10.1016/j.jmatprotec.2018.06.012.
[18] Saternus, M., Merder, T. & Warzecha P. (2011). Numerical and physical modelling of aluminium barbotage process. Solid State Phenomena. 176, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/SSP.176.1.
[19] Li, Z., Ouyang, W., Wang, Z., Zheng, R., Bao, Y. & Gu, C. (2023). Physical simulation study on flow field characteristics of molten steel in 70t ladle bottom argon blowing process. Metals. 13(4), 639, 1-14. DOI:10.3390/met13040639.
[20] Panic, B. & Janiszewski, K. (2014). Model investigations 3D of gas-powder two phase flow in descending packed bed in metallurgical shaft furnaces. Metalurgija. 53(3), 331-334.
[21] Michalek, K. (2001). The use of p hysical modeling and numerical optimization for metallurgical processes. Ostrawa: Publishing of the VSB.
[22] Müller, L. (1983). Application of Dimensional Analysis in Model Research (Zastosowanie analizy wymiarowej w badaniach modelowych). Warszawa: PWN, Poland. (in Polish).
[23] Merder, T. (2018). Numerical analysis of the liquid flow structure in the tundish with physical model verification. Archives of Metallurgy and Materials. 63(4), 1895-1901. DOI: 10.24425/amm.2018.125121.
[24] Merder, T., Warzecha, M., Warzecha, P., Pieprzyca, J. & Hutny, A. (2019). Modeling research technique of nonmetallic inclusions distribution in liquid steel during its flow through the tundish water model. Steel Research International. 90(7), 1-10. DOI:10.1002/srin.201900193.
[25] Jowsa, J. (2008). Engineering of ladle processes in metallurgy (Inżynieria procesów kadziowych w metalurgii). Częstochowa: University of Technology Publishing, Poland. (in Polish).
[26] Falkus J. (1998). Physical and mathematical modeling of metal bath mixing processes in metallurgical reactors (Fizyczne i matematyczne modelowanie procesów mieszania kąpieli metalowej w reaktorach metalurgicznych). Rozprawy i Monografie nr 71. Kraków: Uczelniane Wydawnictwo Naukowo-Dydaktyczne, Poland. (in Polish).
[27] Levenspiel, O. (1999). Chemical reaction engineering. New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
[28] Pieprzyca, J., Merder, T. & Jowsa, J. (2015). Method for determining the time constants characterizing the intensity of steel mixing in continuous casting tundish. Archives of Metallurgy and Materials. 60(1), 245-249. DOI: 10.1515/amm-2015-0039.
[29] Szekely, J., Illegbussi, O.J. (1998). The physical and mathematical modeling of tundish operations. Berlin: Springer-Verlag.
[30] Wen, C.Y., Fan, L.T. (1975). Models for flow systems and chemical reactions. New York: Dekker.
