Water Modelling Experiments of Argon Bubbling Curtain in a Slab Continuous Casting Tundish

Abstract

Fluid flow characteristics in a two‐strand slab tundish with Ar bubbling curtain were studied in water modelling experiments. It was found that the Ar bubbling curtain can greatly improve the flow characteristics in the tundish with a weir, a dam and a turbulence inhibitor. It dramatically increased the peak concentration time and plug volume and greatly decreased the dead volume, but hardly influenced the minimum residence time. Therefore, the fluid flow characteristics in a tundish with Ar bubbling curtain were favourable to the flotation and separation of inclusions from molten steel. The flow characteristics with low gas flow rate and short distance of the Ar bubbling curtain from the tundish outlet were better than those with high gas flow rate and large distance of the curtain from the outlet.

Water modeling of molten steel flow in a multi-strand tundish with gas blowing

“…However, it is noticed that the minimum residence time in case 1 is the longest, so gas blowing reduces the minimum residence time in the current tundish. This is different from the results obtained by Zhong et al [2], whose results showed that gas blowing hardly influenced the minimum residence time. Perhaps this is due to the different tundish configurations used in the two investigations.…”

“…Zhong [2] investigated the effects of the argon bubbling curtain on the flow characteristics in a 1:3 reduced scale two-strand tundish water model. It was found that gas blowing hardly influenced the minimum residence time but significantly increased the peak concentration time and shortened the tail of resident time distribution (RTD) curves.…”

Numerical simulation of liquid steel flow and behaviour of non-metallic inclusions in one-strand slab tundish with subflux turbulence controller and gas permeable barrier

“…The obtained RTD characteristics indicate a modification in steel motion, which is additionally intensified by the argon injection system. The best conditions for tundish operation, as reflected in the behaviour of the RTD curves, were achieved for the tundish variant in which the gas injection system was mounted in the location of mounting of the previous dam (variant 11). The behaviour of the E type RTD curves in particular variants of tundish equipment indicates the occurrence of volumes of stagnant, plug and ideal mixing flows in the steel flow structure.…”

Numerical and Physical Modeling of Liquid Steel Flow Structure for One Strand Tundish with Modern System of Argon Injection

“…The use of argon at mold submerged entry nozzles or tundish stopper rods reduces the possibility of air penetrating through the nozzle system's leaks and mitigates the process of non‐metallic inclusion deposition on the nozzle refractory lining. On the other hand, the liquid steel motion stimulator function in ladles and tundishes is performed by argon being introduced to the liquid steel through porous plugs . Also argon modifies liquid steel motion in the upper working part of the mold .…”