Shrouded transfer of molten steel from ladle to tundish: Current understanding, mathematical modelling and new insight

Abstract

In many earlier studies, argon-steel flows in ladle shrouds have been mathematically modeled via the discrete phase modelling (DPM) approach assuming a bubbly liquid flow. Similarly, in several physicals model investigations, oversimplified shroud-collector plate nozzle geometry, having little or no similarity with the actual, has been considered. To assess these critically, industrial teeming practices, from ladle to tundish, have been reviewed and experimental results derived from two, full scale, PERSPEX models of ladle shroud presented. It is shown that bubbly flow in shroud is encountered only at very low gas-liquid loading ratio (i.e., Qg/Ql-0.02 or so), much smaller than those typically practiced in the industry. Simplification of shroud geometry and consideration of direct injection of gas onto a falling liquid are undesirable as these distort results from physical model investigations.