9th International Conference on Modeling and Simulation of Metallurgical Processes in Steelmaking - STEELSIM2021

In continuous casting of steel, argon injection into the SEN (submerged entry nozzle) via the stopper is common practice. Nonetheless, the resulting phase distribution in the SEN is still under discussion. The main available casting parameters at the steel plant to determine the flow situation in the SEN, are usually the stopper rod position, the argon feeding pressure, the mass flow rate of argon and the casting speed. To determine the potential influence of the phase distribution on the stopper characteristic and on the argon feeding pressure, water model experiments have been conducted using a 1:3 scale water model. The water flow rate was scaled using Froude similarity. The air flow rate was chosen to keep the ratio between liquid and gas volume flow constant. The casting parameters (liquid flow rate, gas flow rate, stopper position, gas feeding pressure) were measured. In addition, nine pressure sensors were attached at three different levels of the SEN. To relate this measurement data to the corresponding phase distribution, two cameras were installed to observe the phase distribution in the SEN. During these measurements four major phase distribution patterns were observed. It could be shown that a change between these phase distribution patterns leads to a significant change in the measured pressure levels and the dynamics of the stopper position.