A mathematical model of a drum and ring horizontal strip casting process

Abstract

A mathematical formulation has been developed to represent the heat transfer and the solidification process in a drum and ring type horizontal strip casting machine. This system involves a ring shaped trough, containing a molten metal pool into which a drum is partially immersed. Both the ring and the drum are made to rotate and their surfaces are cooled with water sprays; as a result, solidified shells are formed on both the internal surface of the ring and on the outer surface of the drum. These two shells are welded together to form the strip. In the formulation equations were developed to represent the temperature profiles in the system and the build-up of the solidified shells as a function of position. The principal usefulness of the analysis is to provide guidance regarding the interrelationships between the key process variables, such as the depth of the metal pool, the system geometry, the angular velocities, and heat transfer coefficients. One may also define the safe limits of operation, in terms of these parameters.