Optimization of Weir & Dam with Drain Holes in Continuous Casting Slab Tundish

The optimization of the location and height of weir & dam with drain holes in a single-strand continuous casting tundish was carried out from the view of fluid flow characteristics by physical modeling using a 0.4 scaled water model and mathematical modeling study. Considering simultaneously reducing the remaining melt, maximizing the plug flow and avoiding the short circuited flow, the dam with two upwardly inclined drain holes was optimized. The parameters such as location and height of weir & dam Lw/L, Ld/L, Hw/H and Hd/H are important to fluid flow in tundish. Among them, the location and height of dam were more critical to the overall fluid flow in tundish. The gap between weir and dam was also very important, the gap length that smaller than 0.266 will be preferred. The dead region behind the weir was enlarged and the tracer flow through the drain holes of dam was weakened as increasing the gap of weir and dam. In present study, the parameters of the optimized Case7 are Hw/H 0.448 (162/362), Hd/H 0.718 (260/362), Lw/L 0.4 (480/1200) and Ld/L 0.667 (800/1200). For the fluid flow field, the near surface flow which beneficial to inclusions removal existed both above the dam and through the upwardly inclined drain holes. While the case of bottom grooved dam used may lead to short circuited flow through the grooves.