Effects of clogging, argon injection, and continuous casting conditions on flow and air aspiration in submerged entry nozzles

The inter-related effects of nozzle clogging, argon injection, tundish bath depth, slide-gate opening position, and nozzle-bore diameter on the steel flow rate and pressure in continuous-casting slide-gate nozzles are quantified using computational models of three-dimensional (3-D) multiphase turbulent flow. The results are validated with measurements on operating steel continuous slab-casting machines and are presented for practical conditions with the aid of an inverse model. Predictions show that initial clogging may enhance the steel flow rate due to a potential streamlining effect before it becomes great enough to restrict the flow channel. The clogging condition can be detected by comparing the measured steel flow rate to the expected flow rate for those conditions, based on the predictions of the inverse model presented here. Increasing argon injection may help to reduce air aspiration by increasing the minimum pressure, which is found just below the slide gate. More argon is needed to avoid a partial-vacuum effect at intermediate casting speeds and in deeper tundishes. Argon flow should be reduced during shallow tundish and low casting speed conditions (such as those encountered during a ladle transition) in order to avoid detrimental effects on flow pattern. Argon should also be reduced at high casting speed, when the slide gate is open wider and the potential for air aspiration is less. The optimal argon flow rate depends on the casting speed, tundish level, and nozzle-bore diameter and is quantified in this work for a typical nozzle and range of bore diameters and operating conditions.