Effect of Electromagnetic Stirrer Position on Mold Metallurgical Behavior in a Continuously Cast Bloom

Abstract

The multiphase flow, initial solidification and solute diffusion and their interactions in a mold region of 380 × 280 mm2 casting bloom under different installation positions of in-mold electromagnetic stirring (M-EMS) were analyzed and compared by a multi-physical model. The results showed that the simulated electromagnetic field and solute carbon distribution in initial solidified shell are basically consistent with measurements. As the distance from EMS center to the meniscus increases (from 0.32 to 0.62 m), the level fluctuation decrease from 7.2 to 4.5 mm, while the volume of turbulent zone clearly expands. Additionally, the solidified shell thickness at the mold outlets increase from 12.90 to 16.32 mm and from 26.41 to 28.97 mm at outlets of computational domain as EMS center moves down, while the surface temperature decreases. The maximum negative segregation deteriorates from 0.95 to 0.83 at the bloom corner while increasing from 0.84 to 0.92 in the thickness direction, and the difference between the minimum and maximum carbon concentrations at center of computational outlets is only about 0.0029 pct. The EMS should be installed around 0.42 m below the meniscus, by which the disqualified rate of non-metallic inclusions and the level fluctuations are within a low level.