Fluid Flow-Related Transport Phenomena in Steel Slab Continuous Casting Strands under Electromagnetic Brake

Abstract

In the current study, a three-dimensinal (3D) numerical model is built to investigate the effect of a local-type electromagnetic brake (EMBr) on the fluid flow, heat transfer, and inclusion motion in slab continuous casting strands. The results indicate that the magnetic force affects the jet characteristics, including jet angle, turbulent kinetic energy, and its dissipation rate. To reduce the top surface velocity and stabilize the top surface, the magnetic flux intensity should be larger than a critical value. With a 0.39 T magnetic flux intensity, the top surface velocity and its fluctuation can be well controlled, and less slag is entrained. The motion of argon bubbles is also studied. More bubbles, especially >2.0-mm bubbles, escape from the top surface between the mold submerged entry nozzle (SEN) and \( \frac{1}{4} \) width for the case with a 0.39 T EMBr. This may push the top slag away and create an open “eye” on the top slag. Small bubbles (≤1 mm) tend to escape from one side of wide face no matter with or without EMBr, which is induced by the swirl flow from the SEN outport. EMBr has a little effect on the overall removal fraction of inclusions; however, it affects the local distribution of inclusion in the slab. With EMBr, more inclusions accumulate the region just below the surface, thus a worse subsurface quality, whereas the inner quality of the slab is better than that without EMBr. For heat transfer in the mold, the heat flux on the narrow face and the area of possible break-out zones can be reduced by using EMBr. Prevention of bias flow and/or asymmetrical flow in mold by EMBr is also concluded.