Strömungstechnik und Schmelzmetallurgie, VDEh Institute for Industrial Development (Düsseldorf, Germany):

Marx K., Mag. Eng., Head of Project Group, e-mail: kersten.marx@bfi.de
Rödl S., Mag. Eng., Head of Dept. "Technical Hydrodynamics and Pyrometallurgy"

Buderus Edelstahl GmbH (Wetzlar, Germany):
Seemann M., Mag. Eng., Production Equipment and products Development
Demant A., Mag. Phys., Steelmaking Simulation

Ingot casting products often must fulfill highest requirements concerning steel cleanness and homogeneity. Concerning these requirements flow conditions and the course of solidification during the casting process are of essential importance. In a physical model flow conditions during the filling process were investigated via flow visualization and laser-optical measuring. Also numerical simulation with an enhanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD) program was performed in order to get further information on inclusion behaviour and separation as well as solidification. User's functions for sintering and separation of inclusions near free surface are realized. Therefore, investigation of the effect of different parameters on inclusion separation ability in large-size molds has been undertaken for the first time. Mathematical modelling calculations for two pouring systems and geometry of a feeder head for one chosen mold have been conducted. It was shown that increase of feeder head causes essential mixing above the volume of final crystallization. The simulation program (adapted via user's functions) allowed for the first time to evaluate the effect of heat insulation on separation features of non-metallic inclusions. Measures for the optimization of the ingot casting process were elaborated.

1. Tscheuschner, C.; Koitzsch, R.; Rödl, S.: Application of enhanced simulation approaches for investigation of multiphase phenomena in the mould, Proc. 4^th Europ. Conf. on Modelling and Simulation of Metallurgical Processes in Steelmaking, 28-30. Juli 2011, Düsseldorf.
2. Zhang, L.; Rietow, B.; Thomas, B. G.; Eakin, K.: Large inclusions in plain-carbon steel ingots by bottom teeming, ISIJ Intern. 46 (2006) Nr. 5, S. 670/79.