Field Synergy Analysis and Optimization of One-Strand Tundish

Field synergy between the molten steel flow field and the temperature distribution was analyzed at first in this paper. It shows when the synergy angle between the molten steel flow field and the temperature gradient field is more than 90° in the tundish, the molten steel temperature distribution is more homogeneous and the synergy number is smaller. Then the flow fields and temperature distributions in the one-strand tundish established with different flow controls were numerically calculated. The results show that the synergy angles are more than 90° in the back-flow zones and gradually decrease as far from the back-flow zones till to almost 0°. The temperature gradient are large in the zones near the tundish wall boundary and around the stopper. When the tundish equipped with a turbulence inhibitor, a weir and a dam, the synergy angles are more than 90° in the majority of molten steel flow domains, the temperature distribution is even. So, the established controls in the tundish can modify the flow characteristics and temperature distribution.