Effect of submergence depth of the ladle shroud on liquid steel quality output from a delta shaped four strand tundish

Abstract

Physical and mathematical modelling was performed in a full-scale water model tundish to study the effect of the submergence depth of the shroud on melt flow and liquid metal quality. In the full-scale water model tundish, slag entrainment tests were performed at various immersion depths of the shroud. Polyethylene beads (920 kg m−3) were used to simulate the slag phase and the number of beads collected in each submerged entry nozzle during a ladle change, indicated relative performances in terms of slag entrainment. A three-dimensional mathematical model was developed and contours of turbulence (turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) contours) were examined at different depths of submergence of the ladle shroud. At low depths of submergence there is high turbulence within the tundish and this causes more slag entrainment. On the contrary, at high submergence depths there is very low turbulence and hence amount of slag entrained is less. Tundish operations with higher submergence depth of the shroud may eliminate the use of turbulence inhibitors and thereby reduce refractory consumption and cost.