Numerical simulation of fluid flow and solidification in bloom continuous casting mould with electromagnetic stirring

Abstract A three-dimensional mathematical model of bloom continuous casting with mould electromagnetic stirring (M-EMS) has been developed. Stirring current effects on induced flow characteristics, heat transfer and solidification were investigated numerically. The results indicate that the electromagnetic force has a circumferential distribution on the plane transverse to the bloom strand, with maxima at the bloom corners. Joule heating produced by M-EMS is very small and can be ignored in the heat transfer calculations. Under the influence of rotational M-EMS, the swirl flow velocity of the melt decreases significantly when solidification is considered. With increasing stirring current, swirl flow intensifies remarkably, which prevents the superheated jet from the submerged entry nozzle flowing downwards and thereby reduces jet penetration into the liquid core. This increases the temperature of the melt in the mould and the temperature gradient at the solidification front, promoting superheat dissipation in the mould and enhancing the percentage of equiaxed zone in the strand.