Study of fluid flow in tundishes due to different types of inlet streams

Abstract

Flow pattern and residence time distribution induced by different methods of pouring of molten steel into a tundish are studied by means of a water model with and without flow modifiers (FM). It was found that the submerged stream without FMs produces short circuiting and argon shrouded stream leads to excessive surface directed flow of liquid in a tundish. Open stream pouring generates surface turbulence and does not produce short circuiting. The effect of FM is found to be different for different methods of pouring, e.g. dam eliminates short circuiting and produces surface directed flow for submerged stream, whereas weir limits the surface turbulence within the inlet region for open stream pouring. Dam is found to reduce the dead volume for argon shrouded pouring.