Numerical and physical prediction of hydrodynamic conditions in one strand slab tundish

Abstract

The paper reports the results of studies on the validation of a numerical model of the flow of liquid steel through the tundish used for continuous casting of steel. The facility under investigation is a single-nozzle tundish designed for casting concast slabs. For the description of the turbulence of steel flow through the tundish, the k - e , RNG k - e and Realizable k - e turbulence model were adopted. Computer simulations of liquid steel flow were performed using the commercial program Ansys-Fluent®. For the validation of the numerical model and verification of the hydrodynamic conditions occurring in the examined tundish furniture variants, obtained from the computer simulations, a physical model of the tundish was employed. During laboratory tests simulating the process of steel flowing through the tundish, E and F-type RTD (Residence Time Distribution) curves were recorded, which were then juxtaposed with results obtained from computer simulations. In order to obtain a complete hydrodynamic picture in the tundish furniture variants tested, the computer simulations were performed for both isothermal and non-isothermal conditions.