Fluid Flow, Heat Transfer, Mixing Time and Inclusion Motion in Molten Steel Continuous Casting Tundish

Fluid Flow, Heat Transfer, Mixing Time and Inclusion Motion in Molten Steel Continuous Casting Tundish

  IJETT-book-cover  International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology (IJETT)          
  
© 2017 by IJETT Journal
Volume-49 Number-4
Year of Publication : 2017
Authors : Abdelbagi Mohamed Abdalla, Omer Ahmad Altohami
DOI :  10.14445/22315381/IJETT-V49P236

Citation 

Abdelbagi Mohamed Abdalla, Omer Ahmad Altohami "Fluid Flow, Heat Transfer, Mixing Time and Inclusion Motion in Molten Steel Continuous Casting Tundish", International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology (IJETT), V49(4),231-243 July 2017. ISSN:2231-5381. www.ijettjournal.org. published by seventh sense research group

Abstract
The project of “Investigation to improve the secondary steel manufacturing process by adopting mathematical models“ was considered to contribute to the Strategic Steel Research in Sudan. The project was suggested as a close collaboration between Depart of mechanical engineering-University of Karrary and the steel factories in Sudan. Steel cleanliness, which is aim of this project, is a focal point for Sudan young steel industry in order to maintain and strengthen their in-market and global competitiveness. The steady velocity and temperature fields were obtained by computationally solving,the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Strokes (RANS) equations together with the energy equation, using the standard k-? model of turbulence. These flow fields were then used to predict the inclusion removal by numerically solving the inclusion transport equation. For the mixing time characteristics transient solution was performed. The calculations were carried out using the commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software ANSYS-FLUENT 6.3.26. The models results were compared and validated with experiments results, plant measurements and models reported in the open literature. The predicted inclusion separation fractions to the top surface (slag) were compared and well agreed with the results from [1]& [2]. Also a change of the inlet position is compared due to inclusion removal and mixing time. The inclusion removal efficiency increases with an increase in the distance between the inlet gate and outlet gates. The mixing time spent was longer by the far inlet gate, which was explained the better inclusion removal efficiency. Temperature distribution analysis was performed under steady state conditions for the constant heat fluxes from walls and from free surface of the tundish. The computed temperatures fields of steel melt in the tundish interior were showed approximately equalized temperature distribution, which was agreed well with the results from [1]. The project findings considered as first step and intended to be hopefully applied in the steel factories in Sudan.

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Keywords
Steel cleanliness; Tundish; Turbulent flow;Mixing time; Inclusion separation; Temperature distribution;Model validation;CFD.