Application of Electromagnetic Braking to Minimize a Surface Wave in a Continuous Caster

Abstract

The turbulent flow in the mold region drastically influences the quality of steel produced during continuous casting. The flow itself can lead to surface defects or slag entrainment based on the formation. A high surface wave can lead to fluctuations and the instability compromises the quality of the steel produced, as well as entrain the slag. To regulate the flow, electromagnetic forces can be applied in the mold, dampening the local turbulent flow. As the electrically conductive molten steel interacts with the induced magnetic field, it reduces the velocity of the steel jet released from the ports of the submerged entry nozzle. Utilizing Star-CCM+, a simulation-based study is conducted modeling the impact of Electromagnetic braking (EMBr) on the flow formation and surface standing wave. Specifically, a parametric study is conducted investigating the impact of submergence entry nozzle (SEN) depth and mold width with applied EMBr. Per the simulation-based study conducted increasing the EMBr strength from 2975 G to 4350 G reduced the average surface wave height by 12.5% and volume of flux rate of decrease by 4.25%. Additionally, increasing the SEN depth from 110 mm to 350 mm increased the average wave height by 19% and volume of flux rate of decrease by 2.6%. Lastly, increasing the mold width from 1.067 m to 1.50 m increased average wave height by 8.71% and volume of flux rate of decrease by 0.9%.