Modeling and numerical simulation of fluid flow of a steel continuous casting tundish

Abstract

Currently, the continuous casting process is the most used technique to produce steel. Being an inherently component of the caster machine, the tundish has been designed to be not only an intermediate vessel between the ladle and the mold, but also a device to remove inclusions. The physical model for fluid flow into the tundish is very complex, therefore, analytical solutions are not available. Hence, Computational Fluid Dynamics emerges as an attractive alternative. The main goal of the present study is to analyze the fluid flow into an actual tundish. Based on the performed simulations, some modifications in the geometry of the tundish were proposed in order to improve the steel’s quality. For solving the governing equations, the ANSYS CFX software was used. Simulations were performed using water as working fluid for a turbulent flow in a 3D tundish. The results were presented in terms of residence time distribution curves.