Finite element modelling of turbulent fluid flow and heat transfer in continuous casting

Abstract

A two-dimensional finite element model has been developed to analyze turbulent, steady-state fluid flow and heat transfer within the liquid pool of a continuous steel-slab-casting machine, using the CFD code FIDAP. This high Reynolds number problem is often prone to instability in solving the finite element equations. To help provide guidelines for achieving convergence to a good solution for problems of this type, various solution strategies, relaxation factors, and meshes have been investigated. The effect of various numerical modelling parameters on the flow and temperature solutions are also investigated. These include, in particular, the boundary conditions for K and ϵ inlet conditions and wall laws and the turbulent Prandtl number. Finally, the predicted flow patterns and velocity fields show reasonable agreement with experimental observations and measurements conducted by using a Plexiglas water model, and the predicted heat flux profiles closely match previous measurements.