Numerical simulation of the liquid steel alloying process in a one-strand tundish with different addition positions and flow control devices

Department of Metals Extraction and Recirculation, Faculty of Production Engineering and Materials Technology, Czestochowa University of Technology, 19 Armii Krajowej Av., 42-200 Czestochowa, Poland
e-mail: cwudzinski@wip.pcz.pl

Received: 25 November 2014
Accepted: 6 May 2015

Abstract

The tundish may successfully be used as a rector enabling alloy additions to be fed to liquid steel during continuous casting of steel. The paper presents results describing the process of alloy addition mixing with liquid steel during steady-state casting conditions. The pulse-step method for alloy addition feeding to liquid steel at the tundish stage was developed. The subject of the study is a single-nozzle tundish in the shape of a wedge. Computer simulation of the liquid steel flow and alloy addition behaviour in turbulent motion conditions was done using the Ansys-Fluent® computer program. Computer simulations of alloy addition behaviour in the liquid steel, depending on the alloy addition feed location or the flow control devices (FCD) employed in the tundish, were performed for the sequence of casting 1.5 m × 0.225 m slabs at a speed of 0.9 m/min. The use of the pulse-step method allowed a constant alloy addition concentration in the steel flowing to the mould with satisfactory mixing time.