Effects of operating parameters on the flow field in slab continuous casting molds with narrow widths

Abstract

Computational simulations and high-temperature measurements of velocities near the surface of a mold were carried out by using the rod deflection method to study the effects of various operating parameters on the flow field in slab continuous casting (CC) molds with narrow widths for the production of automobile exposed panels. Reasonable agreement between the calculated results and measured subsurface velocities of liquid steel was obtained under different operating parameters of the CC process. The simulation results reveal that the flow field in the horizontal plane located 50 mm from the meniscus can be used as the characteristic flow field to optimize the flow field of molten steel in the mold. Increases in casting speed can increase the subsurface velocity of molten steel and shift the position of the vortex core downward in the downward circulation zone. The flow field of liquid steel in a 1040 mm-wide slab CC mold can be improved by an Ar gas flow rate of 7 L·min−1 and casting speed of 1.7 m·min−1. Under the present experimental conditions, the double-roll flow pattern is generally stable at a submerged entry nozzle immersion depth of 170 mm.