Effect of Top-Swirling Turbulence Inhibitor on Multiphase Flow in a Single-Strand Tundish During Transient Casting

摘要

The turbulence and multiphase flows in a single-strand slab casting tundish during the start-up operation, steady-state casting, and the ladle changeover process without a turbulence inhibitor (TI), with an ordinary TI, and with a top-swirling TI are numerically investigated and compared to assess the metallurgical advantages of a top-swirling TI. The results show that the designed top-swirling TI has no negative effect on the turbulence flow of molten steel during steady-state casting, as the swirling flow may enhance the inclusion removal rate, and erosion of the guide vanes is relatively weak. During start-up operation, the use of a top-swirling TI effectively alleviated level fluctuations in the impact zone, which decreased from 38.75 mm at 90 s to 12.5 mm at the start-up tonnage, then decreased to zero within 180 s. During ladle changeover, the second stage of steel exposure could be eliminated by the top-swirling TI, while the areas of steel exposure remaine around 1550 and 750 cm(2) without a TI and with an ordinary TI after 60 s of refilling time. The top-swirling TI could effectively improve the turbulence flow of molten steel, avoiding secondary oxidation and slag entrapment, making it suitable for widespread application and popularization.

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