Behavior and Removal of Inclusions by Means of the Use of Mathematical and Physical Simulations as Well as the Measured Vibrations with an Accelerometer in a Funnel Mold in Thin Slab Continuous Casting

Abstract

Due to the inherent difficulty in making direct observations of the behavior of the dynamic flow of liquid steel and the inclusions in the continuous casting of the steel, mathematical and physical modeling, having great popularity and acceptance, has been an invaluable aid to the understanding of the fluid flow phenomena. Up to date, there is little information available in the literature regarding the behavior of the inclusions, especially inside the funnel type mold.It has been found that the accelerometer is a transducer capable of relating the vibration with the behavior of the inclusions in the continuous casting mold. It was indicated that higher levels of vibration in the thin slab mold is greater than the removal of inclusions therein.As a starting point of the results a mathematical modeling, previously carried on the work group, were used,1) where an analysis of the fluid flow process of the continuous casting thin slab was carried out. Two nozzle designs, two depths of 22 and 34 cm, and three casting speed of 4, 5 and 6 m/min were simulated. In all cases, just 100 particles were simulated within the flowing liquid metal, because once the mathematical calculations or the processing time increases as the quantity of particles grow. These have previously been treated with a liquid, sensitive to the black light, and then under this type of light the inclusions are luminescent. All cases were also solved in the simulation software Fluent® where a slag layer, in which all the inclusions that reach it are trapped, is generated at the meniscus of liquid metal.The area near the nozzle has a greater concentration of particles, which is due to low speed or flow pattern change in said zone. These inclusions are floating in this area eventually become stripped and trapped in the slag layer.