Regular Article

Physical and mathematical modeling of bubbles plume behaviour in one strand tundish

Department of Metals Extraction and Recirculation, Faculty of Production Engineering and Materials Technology, Czestochowa University of Technology, 19 Armii Krajowej avenue, 42200 Czestochowa, Poland

^* e-mail: cwudzinski@wip.pcz.pl

Received: 5 December 2016
Accepted: 20 September 2017

Abstract

Moving through the liquid steel, argon bubbles intensify the chemical and thermal homogenisation processes and liquid metal refining. The present study reports the physical and mathematical modeling of bubbles behaviour in the tundish with argon injection system. The 210 litre–capacity one strand slab tundish model was made on a scale of 2:5. The laboratory water model experiments have demonstrated that the identical porous material used in gas-permeable barrier may generate gas bubbles varying in size and shape. This fact will also affect both vertical and horizontal velocities attained by the bubbles. From numerical simulations influence of argon flow rate on liquid steel velocity for free surface in the tundish was obtained. The results from numerical simulations  indicate that argon create increasing of liquid steel velocity and vortex structures.