Investigation on the Flow Field of Molten Steel in Ultrahigh-Speed Billet Continuous Casting Mold

Abstract

In this paper, a multiphase mathematical model coupling with the air and a single-phase model was, respectively, established to investigate the flow field of molten steel in ultrahigh-speed billet continuous casting mold with 160 mm × 160 mm cross section. The results show that the casting speed has a little effect on the flowing pattern of molten steel in the mold, and the flow field between the multiphase model and the single-phase model is not much different. Moreover, with the increase of casting speed, the impacting depth of molten steel stream and free surface velocity rise, and the area of high-speed region augments, the level fluctuation is more intense, and the wave height gets large. And the most level fluctuations at four casting speeds are basically within ±3 mm, and the average wave height is less than 3 mm. Although there exists an exception at the 30 s of casting speed 4.5 m/min and the wave height is 5.654 mm, no slag entrapment happens. Thus, the flow field of ultrahigh-speed billet continuous casting mold is appropriate at the current operation parameters.