The Condition for Formation of a Double-Recirculation Flow Pattern in a Slab Continuous Casting Mold with Argon Gas
吹氩板坯连铸结晶器内双循环流的形成条件

The formation of a double-recirculation flow pattern(DRFP) in continuous casting mold will be helpful for the improvement of slab quality. In the present study, the condition for the formation of the DRFP in a slab continuous casting mold with blowing argon gas was quantitively described using the Lagrange multi-phase flow model, and the prediction was validated by the water model. The influences of argon gas volume flowrate, fluid steel mass flowrate, mold width, submergence depth of SEN (Submerged Entry Nozzle) and port downward angle on the DRFP were numerically investigated. The results show that it is important for ensuring the DRFP that the argon gas flowrate matchs the other casting conditions. The critical argon gas flowrate increases with the increasing fluid steel mass flowrate, and the range of argon gas flowrate for keeping the DRFP will be enlarged by decreasing the mold width and increasing the submergence depth of SEN as the fluid steel mass flowrate is more than 2.486 ton/min, nevertheless, the port downward angle of SEN has little effect on it. However, the operation parameters have no significant influence on it as the fluid steel mass flowrate is below 2.486 ton/min.