Effect of swirling flow tundish submerged entry nozzle outlet design on multiphase flow and heat transfer in mould

Abstract

Effect of a swirling flow SEN (submerged entry nozzle) outlet design on the multiphase flow and heat transfer in a mould was investigated by using numerical simulation. It was found that different SEN outlet designs could form different flow patterns and temperature distributions on the upper of the mould. The enlarged outlet SEN design had an effect to decrease the horizontal velocity of liquid steel flowing out the SEN outlet, reducing the steel flow velocity  towards the solidification front. Although a higher velocity was found near the slag/steel interface with the enlarged outlet SEN, but the turbulent kinetic energy was lower. The reason was that less circulation flows were formed in the region of the mould top. The weak horizontal flow towards the solidification front with the enlarged outlet SEN induced lower wall shear stresses, at the same time it also formed a lower temperature distribution near the solidified shell.