Heat transfer and solidification analysis in the mould region of a horizontal copper alloy billet continuous caster

Abstract

Mathematical modelling has been widely used as a powerful tool for process design and optimisation of the continuous casting process. A three-dimensional heat transfer model was developed to simulate heat transfer and solidification in a horizontal billet continuous casting system. In this model, the air gap formation and its effect on heat extraction from the billet was also modelled and considered. The developed model was run to simulate the heat transfer and solidification for an industrial billet casting machine. The predicted temperature distribution within the mould and billet was compared with those measured on an industrial caster and good agreement was obtained. Parametric studies were carried out to evaluate the effects of different parameters on the temperature distribution and solidification profile within the cast brass billet. Finally, the secondary dendrite arm spacing (SDAS) was determined experimentally and a semi-empirical correlation between measured SDAS and corresponding calculated cooling rate was proposed for continuously cast brass billet.