Comparison of Fluid Flow and Tracer Dispersion in Four-Strand Tundish under Fewer Strand Casting and Sudden Blockage of Strand Conditions

Abstract

The study focuses on the four-strand tundish as the research object, aiming at the phenomenon of fewer strand casting (stable blockage) and sudden blockage of the tundish in industrial production. Numerical simulation methods are employed to compare the velocity vectors, flow fields, residence time distribution (RTD) curves, and outflow percentage curves under stable blockage and sudden blockage of the tundishes with a double-weir structure, U-shaped weir structure, and U-shaped weir structure with holes in the front. The results indicate that, after sudden blockage of the tundish strands, the flow field transitions from an unstable four-strand flow field to a stable three-strand flow field. Both the double-weir tundish and the U-shaped weir tundish reach a stable state after 200 s, while the U-shaped weir tundish with holes in the front reaches stability after 150 s. Additionally, compared to other structures, the tundish strands of the U-shaped weir with holes in the front are less affected by blockage, showing better consistency among strands and better adaptability under non-standard casting conditions.