Analysis of Flow Pattern and Bubble Behavior in Slab Continuous Casting with Mold Electromagnetic Stirring

Abstract

The electromagnetic stirring (EMS) and argon blowing are the widely recognized and extensively employed technologies to control the flow pattern in slab continuous casting, and their interaction is directly linked to the final product. To investigate the flow pattern, bubble characteristics under mold EMS and argon blowing, a mathematical model coupling the electromagnetic field, two-phase flow is constructed. The population balance model (PBM) under the Eulerian frame is applied to describe the bubbles breakage and coalescence. The results show that the flow regime under the interaction of argon blowing and EMS transfers from bubble ascending flow to intermediate flow to horizontal recirculation flow as EMS current increases, and the large argon flow rate could suppress the formation of horizontal recirculation flow. Meanwhile, EMS can promote the coalescence of bubbles, with the increasing EMS current, the bubble numbers decrease first and then increase, and the bubble mean diameter increases first and then decreases. For obtaining the horizontal recirculation flow, the suitable argon flow rate and EMS current should be matched suitably.