Evaluation of Molten Steel Flow Behaviors in a Multistrand Tundish via Numerical Simulation and Grey Relational Analysis with a New Dimensionless Operator

Abstract

Optimizing the tundish structure can effectively improve billet or solid product quality. The correlation between the structural parameters of the baffle and the flow characteristics of molten steel in a tundish is a prerequisite for tundish structural optimization. In this study, molten steel flow behaviors are stimulated in a five‐strand tundish using computational fluid dynamics. The behaviors are characterized by the dead‐zone ratio of the entire tundish and the flow consistency of five strands at the outlets. Further, the influences of different structural parameters on the characteristics are analyzed, and the degree of influence is evaluated using grey relational analysis (GRA). Four traditional nondimensionalization operators are used for GRA. However, the results obtained from different operators are inconsistent. Therefore, a benchmark deviation dimensionless operator is proposed to improve the accuracy of GRA. The improved grey correlation degrees are consistent with the results obtained through numerical simulation. The rank of the grey correlation degree indicates that the diameter and inclination angle of Orifice B, which is at the lower position of the baffle, are highly correlated with the dead‐zone ratio. The inclination angles should have a larger correlation degree for flow consistency than the orifice diameter.