Modelling of fluid flow, heat transfer and solidification in the strip casting of a copper base alloy (III). Solidification - A theoretical study

Abstract

A finite-volume model has been developed and applied to analyse the solidification process of pure copper in the mould region of a continuous strip casting machine. The model was produced with the commercial program CFX, which allows this non-linear, turbulent problem to be simulated using a modified version of the k-ε turbulence model. The fluid flow, temperature and heat flux distributions in the mould region of the caster were computed. The shape and location of the solidification front were also determined. The effects of operating parameters, such as casting speed, superheat and the assumed values for the latent heat of fusion on the shape and location of the solidification front were investigated.