Mathematical modelling of molten alloy mixing in a continuous casting tundish - A hydrodynamic study

• The emergence of the nozzle clogging have inspired steelmakers to optimize the alloying routine from alloying in ladle to alloying in tundish or in continuous casting mould. Meanwhile, wire injection in tundish has been shown to be successful for postalloying and tundish temperature adjustment. However, there is limited information on the continuous feeding of alloy in tundishes. There are three aspects to be considered: a) "alloy melting", b) "alloy particle dispersion" and c) "liquid alloy mixing". In the present paper, the "liquid alloy mixing" process is studied using CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) from a hydrodynamic perspective. In the simulation, the molten alloy is described by the density coupled mixed composition fluid model, which has been verified and validated by water modelling experiments using black ink and KCl tracer mixing in water as a priori. In the present model, the density of the liquid alloy is assumed to be 1.15 or 0.85 times of that of the liquid steel. Thereafter, the denser alloy injection at two positions has been studied, i.e. near the inlet (L1) and at the centre of the tundish (L2). The results indicate that the breakthrough time for the mass fraction of alloy at the outlet are about 100s for both locations. The difference is when the alloy was injected at the center (L2), there is a bypassing flow above the dam. As a result, the mass fraction of alloy at the outlet increases rapidly but the homogeneity in the tundish bath is reduced. Moreover, the denser alloy injection with different velocities was studied. The result shows that the mixing is slightly enhanced during the initial injection stage for the big velocity case. Besides, a test simulation on the mixing of a lighter alloy indicates that the alloy is floating to the top surface.

Subject headings

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Materialteknik -- Metallurgi och metalliska material (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Materials Engineering -- Metallurgy and Metallic Materials (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Alloy mixing

CFD

Mathematical model

Mixed composition fluid model

Tundish

Alloying

Computational fluid dynamics

Continuous casting

Fluid dynamics

Fluids

Hydrodynamics

Liquids

Mathematical models

Mixing

Steelmaking

CFD (computational fluid dynamics)

Continuous casting mould

Continuous casting tundish

Fluid modeling

Hydrodynamic studies

Tundish temperature

Alloy steel

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

kon (subject category)