Abstract
The continuous casting process (CCP) is the most vital part of steelmaking. The flow pattern near the submerged entry nozzle (SEN) and mould greatly influence the quality of the slab produced. The present investigation was carried out to gain knowledge regarding the meniscus fluctuation under different nozzle port blockage conditions by water model experiments. The experiments were carried out to study the effect of no blockage, 25% blockage, 50% blockage, and 75% blockage of the nozzle port on mould-level fluctuations. The result shows that when the liquid flow rate increases, the wave amplitude increases. In these experiments, the average and maximum meniscus fluctuations were measured while changing different variables such as the water flow rate, gas flow rate, and one-side percentage blockage of the SEN port while the other side was fully open. The observation shows that when the port size decreases, the fluid steel mixed from the obstructing side to the open side results in asymmetry. The average and maximum wave amplitude increases with decreasing submergence depth. It was observed that the maximum height of the standing waves in the mould continued rising on the non-blocked side of the SEN. Blockage increases from 25% to 75%, and with 75% blockage of the right side of the SEN port, the mould-level fluctuation at the left side of the mould was extreme, while that of the right side was relatively quiet.
Highlights
The modern steelmaking industry depends on the continuous casting process for the production of steel
Control of the flow poorly leads to several defects, which include the entrapment of air argon bubbles, mould slag entrainment, surface defects, and breakouts due to level fluctuations [3]
Hernandez et al [18] designed a submerged entry nozzle with an anchor shape, and the results showed that the chance of formation of Karman’s vortexes and powder entrapment becomes smaller for anchor-shaped SENs
Summary
The modern steelmaking industry depends on the continuous casting process for the production of steel. The continuous casting process (CCP) is widely used because of its advantages such as high production yield, flexible operation, and ability to obtain high-quality products [1]. In the CCP of steel, blockage of the submerged entry nozzle (SEN) is one of the significant factors to be considered as it leads to defect generation in the slab. Control of the flow poorly leads to several defects, which include the entrapment of air argon bubbles, mould slag entrainment, surface defects, and breakouts due to level fluctuations [3]. It is essential to know and understand the behaviour of the fluid inside the mould, as it may lead to quality problems such as slag entrainment
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
