Visualization of Liquid Metal Two-phase Flows in a Physical Model of the Continuous Casting Process of Steel

Abstract

We present an experimental study concerned with investigations of the two-phase flow in a mock-up of the continuous casting process of steel. A specific experimental facility was designed and constructed at HZDR for visualizing liquid metal two-phase flows in the mold and the submerged entry nozzle (SEN) by means of X-ray radioscopy. This setup operates with the low melting, eutectic alloy GaInSn as model liquid. The argon gas is injected through the tip of the stopper rod into the liquid metal flow. The system operates continuously under isothermal conditions. First results will be presented here revealing complex flow structures in the SEN widely differing from a homogeneously dispersed bubbly flow. The patterns are mainly dominated by large bubbles and large-area detachments of the liquid metal flow from the inner nozzle wall. Various flow regimes can be distinguished depending on the ratio between the liquid and the gas flow rate. Smaller gas bubbles are produced by strong shear flows near the nozzle ports. The small bubbles are entrained by the submerged jet and mainly entrapped by the lower circulation roll in the mold. Larger bubbles develop by coalescence and ascend toward the free surface.

Combined experimental and numerical analysis of a bubbly liquid metal flow

“…Finally, the derived quantities were converted from pixel units to metric units using the scaling of the image. This setup is similar to that applied in [9].…”

Investigation on Fluid Flow inside a Continuous Slab Casting Mold Using Particle Image Velocimetry

“…To study the asymmetric flow, the first step needs to obtain flow pattern of the whole mold domain. It is easy to be obtained using numerical simulation, but its model should be verified by water model results . During water model experiments, ink tracer experiment is often used to display the flow pattern of full region mold.…”

Physical and Numerical Modeling of Exposed Slag Eye in Continuous Casting Mold using Euler–Euler Approach

“…However, it is difficult for the DPM model to characterize these high gas rate regions inside the mold. Although a lot of previous work has been done on the subject of multiphase flow in the continuous casting mold, relatively little work was reported on the slag eye formation in continuous casting mold.…”