Abstract
Water modeling and mathematical simulation techniques were used to study the melt flow under the influence of turbulence inhibitors in a multistrand bloom caster tundish. Three different cases were studied: a bare tundish (BT), a tundish with two pairs of baffles and a waved impact pad (BWIP), and a tundish equipped with turbulence inhibitor and a pair of dams (TI&D). Chemical mixing of tracer turbulence diffusion was also simulated and compared with actual experimental results. The TI&D arrangement showed an improvement of the fluid flow characteristics, yielding better tracer distribution among the outlets, lower values of back mixing flow, and higher values of plug flow. A mass transfer model coupled with k-ɛ turbulence model predicted acceptably well the experimental chemical mixing of the tracer in the water model. The water modeling and the numerical simulation indicated that the TI&D arrangement retains the tracer inside the vessel for longer times, increasing the minimum residence time. These results encourage the use of turbulence-inhibiting devices in bloom and billet casters, which pursue excellence in product quality.
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Abbreviations
- A :
-
cross-sectional area
- C :
-
tracer concentration
- C i :
-
tracer concentration at strand i
- C 1, C 2, and C D :
-
constants in the turbulence model
- E :
-
empirical constant in Eq. [16]
- E i :
-
RTD curve at strand i
- D m :
-
molecular tracer diffusivity
- D t :
-
turbulent tracer diffusivity
- D eff :
-
effective tracer diffusivity
- G :
-
generation term (Eq. [10])
- k :
-
turbulent kinetic energy
- m i :
-
mass of tracer exiting through strand i
- M :
-
total mass of tracer injected into the vessel
- P :
-
pressure
- Q :
-
volumetric flow rate
- t :
-
time
- t calc :
-
mean calculated time
- V Dead :
-
dead volume fraction
- V Plug :
-
plug volume fraction
- V Mixed :
-
mixed volume fraction
- v + :
-
as defined in Eq. [17]
- u, v, w :
-
velocity vectors
- y + :
-
as defined in Eq. [18]
- ɛ :
-
dissipation rate of the turbulent kinetic energy
- μ :
-
fluid viscosity
- μ eff :
-
effective fluid viscosity
- μ i :
-
turbulent fluid viscosity
- ρ :
-
fluid density
- σ t :
-
turbulent Schmidt number
- σ ɛ :
-
constant in the k-ɛ model
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Morales, R.D., Palafox-Ramos, J., Barreto, J.d.J. et al. Melt flow control in a multistrand tundish using a turbulence inhibitor. Metall Mater Trans B 31, 1505–1515 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11663-000-0035-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11663-000-0035-x