EP3194095B1 - Impact pad, tundish and apparatus including the impact pad, and method of using same - Google Patents

Impact pad, tundish and apparatus including the impact pad, and method of using same Download PDF

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Publication number
EP3194095B1
EP3194095B1 EP15753879.4A EP15753879A EP3194095B1 EP 3194095 B1 EP3194095 B1 EP 3194095B1 EP 15753879 A EP15753879 A EP 15753879A EP 3194095 B1 EP3194095 B1 EP 3194095B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
tundish
impact
surface area
impact pad
conical
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Active
Application number
EP15753879.4A
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German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
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EP3194095A1 (en
Inventor
Tathagata Bhattacharya
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
ArcelorMittal Investigacion y Desarrollo SL
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ArcelorMittal Investigacion y Desarrollo SL
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Publication of EP3194095A1 publication Critical patent/EP3194095A1/en
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Classifications

    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B22CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
    • B22DCASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
    • B22D41/00Casting melt-holding vessels, e.g. ladles, tundishes, cups or the like
    • B22D41/003Casting melt-holding vessels, e.g. ladles, tundishes, cups or the like with impact pads
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B22CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
    • B22DCASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
    • B22D11/00Continuous casting of metals, i.e. casting in indefinite lengths
    • B22D11/10Supplying or treating molten metal
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B22CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
    • B22DCASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
    • B22D11/00Continuous casting of metals, i.e. casting in indefinite lengths
    • B22D11/10Supplying or treating molten metal
    • B22D11/103Distributing the molten metal, e.g. using runners, floats, distributors
    • BPERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B22CASTING; POWDER METALLURGY
    • B22DCASTING OF METALS; CASTING OF OTHER SUBSTANCES BY THE SAME PROCESSES OR DEVICES
    • B22D41/00Casting melt-holding vessels, e.g. ladles, tundishes, cups or the like
    • B22D41/02Linings

Definitions

  • This invention relates to impact pads used in steel-making, especially to tundish impact pads adapted to reduce turbulence and bath surface disruption generated by a molten steel ladle stream fed into a continuous caster tundish.
  • the invention further relates to tundishes and apparatus including the impact pads, and methods of using the impact pads, tundishes, and apparatus.
  • a steel caster is an apparatus for carrying out continuous casting, also referred to in the art as strand casting.
  • Continuous casting involves transferring molten steel from a steelmaking furnace into a ladle. From the ladle, the molten steel is fed through a shroud of the ladle (also referred to as a ladle shroud) extending into a container or vessel referred to as a tundish.
  • the molten steel typically is fed at a continuous or semi-continuous liquid flow into a molten steel bath contained in the tundish.
  • the tundish typically acts as a reservoir from which the molten steel may be fed, without interruption or unwanted downtime, into caster molds.
  • a protective slag cover/layer or "flux" is allowed to form at the surface of the molten steel bath.
  • Fig. 10 illustrates a longitudinal cross section of a single strand tundish 1 having an asymmetrical fluid flow 9a.
  • the ladle shroud 7 is shown adjacent end wall 3 opposite a well block (not shown in Figs. 10 and 11 ).
  • Water flow-model studies have shown that the fluid flow, generated by an incoming ladle stream 8 from the ladle shroud 7, is reflected from the flat tundish floor 4 in an upward direction toward the surface of the liquid steel. If this fluid flow is restricted by the tundish walls 2 and 3, the restricted fluid flow is forced upward along the surface of such walls 2, 3. This upward flow follows a circular path 9c, and creates an upward surge along the face of the end wall 3, and a downward flow around a ladle shroud 7.
  • the upward surge of the circular flow 9c causes excessive turbulence at the surface of the bath.
  • These high free surface activities in the tundish give rise to a phenomenon called "open-eye," whereby the protective slag cover 6 on top of the steel bath is broken.
  • the broken slag cover 6 exposes the liquid steel to the surrounding atmosphere and sets up conditions conducive to altering the chemistry of the steel bath and creating inclusions in the steel bath.
  • the chemical changes typically involve loss of aluminum from the bath and/or absorption of oxygen and nitrogen into the steel bath and consequent surface re-oxidation. Re-oxidation and other undesired reactions can introduce, for example, excess alumina, manganese sulfide, and calcium sulfide into the steel bath.
  • the downward flow around the ladle shroud 7 generates shear and vortices, and entraps and pulls broken particles 10 from the broken flux cover 6 down into the liquid steel bath. These broken particles 10 eventually are discharged from the tundish with the molten steel and create inclusions within the finished steel product.
  • a tundish impact pad is provided according to claim 1.
  • a second aspect of the invention provides an apparatus according to claim 9.
  • a third aspect of the invention provides a strand casting method or molten steel processing method according to claim 10.
  • the conical impact surface area has an axis, passing through the apex, about which the conical impact surface area has rotational symmetry.
  • the conical impact surface area has a linear profile.
  • the conical impact surface area has a cone angle, measured from a horizontal plane in which an outer perimeter of the conical impact surface area lies to an oblique plane in which the conical impact surface area lies, in a range of about 15 degrees to about 25 degrees.
  • the lip has a downward lip angle, measured from a horizontal plane to a lower surface of the lip, in a range of about 20 degrees to about 25 degrees.
  • the continuous annular chamber has a radius of curvature of about 30 mm.
  • protuberances for example hemispherical protuberances, are distributed about a lower surface area of the lip.
  • a tundish for a strand caster in accordance with an exemplary embodiment is generally designated by reference numeral 10 in Figs. 1 and 2 .
  • a single-strand caster is shown therein, it should be understood that embodiments of the present invention may be practiced in connection with double-strand and other multiple-strand casters.
  • An example of a multi-strand caster setup, albeit with a different impact pad, is shown in Fig. 10 of U.S. Patent No. RE 35,685 .
  • the tundish 10 includes tundish end walls 12 and 14, tundish front and rear sidewalls (unnumbered), and a tundish floor 16 extending between and connected to (or integral with) the end walls 12, 14 and sidewalls.
  • the tundish end walls 12, 14 and floor 16 collectively establish a chamber or reservoir 18 for receiving and holding a molten steel bath.
  • a tundish impact pad 20 is located in the reservoir 18, for example, closer to the end wall 12 than to the end wall 14.
  • Positioned above the tundish impact pad 20 is the lower part of a ladle shroud 22 for introducing an incoming ladle stream 24 ( Fig. 7 ) of molten steel into the impact pad 20.
  • the ladle shroud 22 is shown penetrating through the top of the molten steel bath, with the end of the ladle shroud 22 spaced above and centered coaxially with the tundish impact pad 20.
  • the flow of molten steel and the structure and function of impact pad 20 are discussed in further detail below.
  • the tundish 10 further includes a weir 26 dividing the tundish 10 into right and left (first and second) compartments 18a and 18b, respectively, with the impact pad 20 in the right compartment 18a on the tundish floor 16 in Figs. 1 and 2 .
  • the bottom of the weir 26 includes a passage 26a for allowing fluid communication between the liquid steel in the left and right compartments 18a, 18b.
  • a diffuser 28 is positioned on the tundish floor 16 in the right compartment 18a between the weir 26 and the tundish impact pad 20.
  • a dam 30 having a plurality of upwardly sloping (from right to left in the direction of flow) cylindrical passages 30a rests on the tundish floor 16 in the left compartment 18b.
  • a stopper rod 32 is aligned with an output port or tundish well block 34 through which liquid steel is discharged from the tundish 10. Upward and downward movement of the stopper rod 32 controls outflow of molten steel from the tundish 10 and into casts (not shown).
  • the tundish impact pad 20 may be made of a material or materials suitable for the intended use in a caster tundish for molten steel processing. Typically, such material(s) have high impact and abrasion resistance, high hot strength and refractoriness, and good castability. Metals, ceramics, and sand with ceramic coatings are examples of suitable materials. As specific but non-limiting examples, low-moisture, high-alumina castable compositions such as Narcon 70 Castable and coarse high alumina low cement castable compositions such as Versaflow® 70C Plus are refractory materials suitable for use as the tundish impact pad 20.
  • Narcon 70 Castable contains (calcined basis) 26.9% silica (Si02), 69.8% alumina (Alz03), 1.7% titania (Ti02), 0.8% iron oxide (Fe203), 0.7% lime (CaO), and 0.1% alkali (Na20); and Versaflow® 70C Plus contains (calcined basis) 27.5% silica (Si02), 67.3% alumina (Ab03), 2.1% titania (Ti0 2 ), 1.2% iron oxide (Fe 2 0 3 ), 1.6% lime (CaO), 0.1% magnesia (MgO), and 0.2% alkalis (Na 2 0+K 2 0).
  • the body parts of the tundish impact pad 20 can be coated with an erosion resistant material to form erosion resistant coatings for receiving and coming into contact with the incoming ladle stream 24.
  • the erosion resistant coatings may be made with medium emissivity materials (such as Zirconia, Yttria, Silicon Carbide), high reflectivity materials (such as aluminum and alumina), or high temperature, non-oxide lubricants (such as boron nitride).
  • the tundish impact pad 20 includes a circular base 40 (relative to a plan or bottom view).
  • the base 40 includes a top base surface having a conical impact surface area 42 and an adjoining, adjacent annular base surface area 44 concentrically surrounding the conical impact surface area 42.
  • the conical impact surface area 42 is not truncated.
  • the top of the conical impact surface area 42 may be slightly rounded while still retaining the conical shape.
  • the conical impact surface area 42 extends upwardly to terminate at an apex or vertex 46.
  • the conical impact surface area 42 has rotational symmetry about an imaginary axis Az ( Fig.
  • the conical impact surface area 42 has a linear profile or cross section, as best shown in Fig. 5 .
  • the bottom of the linear profile of the conical impact surface area 42 terminates at an outer perimeter 48 adjacent to and contiguous with a radially inner edge of the annular base surface area 44.
  • the top of the linear profile of the conical impact surface area 42 terminates at a point corresponding to the apex 46 that is coincident with the axis Az.
  • the annular base surface area 44 may be at least partially flat and lie in a horizontal plane that is parallel to the bottom surface 40a of the base 40.
  • the tundish impact pad 20 further includes a sidewall 50 having a sidewall inner surface 52 that continuously/endlessly circles on itself to appear as an annulus when viewed from above, as in Fig. 4 .
  • the sidewall 50 is shown having uniform thickness over its entire 360 degrees.
  • the sidewall inner surface 52 is positioned concentrically outside of and generally perpendicular to the annular base surface area 44.
  • the sidewall inner surface 52 includes curved transition areas 54, 56 at its bottom and top, respectively.
  • the curved transition areas 54, 56 may be symmetrical to one another.
  • the ends of the lower curved transition area 54 are flush and contiguous with the annular base surface area 44 and the sidewall inner surface 52.
  • the lower curved transition area 54 curves continuously between the base 40 and the sidewall inner surface 52.
  • the tundish impact pad 20 still further includes a top wall 60 extending inwardly from the top transition area 56 and generally perpendicular to the sidewall 50 to terminate at an inner edge 62.
  • the top transition area 56 is configured as a curvilinear undercut that curves continuously between and whose ends are flush and contiguous with the sidewall inner surface 52 and the top wall 60.
  • a mouth opening 64 established by the inner edge 62 is spaced above and centered relative to the apex 46. In use, the mouth opening 64 is under and coaxial with the ladle shroud 22 to receive the incoming ladle stream 24. In the illustrated embodiments, the diameter of the mouth opening 64 is approximately equal to or less than the diameter of the outer perimeter 48 of the conical impact surface area 42.
  • the top wall 60 includes a lip 66 angled inwardly and downwardly to terminate at the inner edge 62.
  • the top wall 60 has a first lower surface area 60a that extends substantially horizontally and parallel to the bottom surface 40a and a second lower surface area (also referred to herein as a lower lip surface) 66a corresponding to the bottom of the lip 66.
  • the lower lip surface 66a slopes radially inwardly and downwardly from the first lower surface area 60a towards the conical impact surface 42. As best shown in Figures 4 and 5 , the first lower surface area 60a and the lower lip surface 66a interface at 60b.
  • the base 40, side wall 50, and top wall 60 may be integral, that is a unitary piece or monolithic part.
  • the base 40, the sidewall 50, the top wall 60 and/or other parts of the tundish 10 may be formed of separate pieces temporarily or permanently joined to one another.
  • the conical impact surface area 42, the annular base surface area 44, the continuous sidewall inner surface 52, the curved transition surface areas 54, 56, and the lower surface areas 60a, 66a collectively establish a continuous annular chamber about axis Az that may be in the form of a torus.
  • liquid steel is introduced into the tundish 10 through the shroud or sprue 22 as the incoming ladle stream 24. It has been found that the ratio (D j /D m ) of the diameter D j of the inner diameter of the shroud 22 to the diameter D m of the mouth opening 64 in a range of about 0.3 to about 0.4 provides particularly good results.
  • the ladle shroud 22 and the mouth opening 64 are coaxially aligned with one another in the exemplary embodiment.
  • the design of the exemplary embodiments described herein causes the incoming ladle stream 24 to impact against the conical impact surface area 42, which redirects the stream 24 radially outward towards the lower transition portion 54 and the sidewall inner surface 52.
  • the shape of the continuous annular chamber forces the molten steel flow into a reversed direction back towards the incoming ladle stream 24 to reduce the turbulence and dissipate the energy of the molten steel before it flows from the impact pad 10.
  • the reversed fluid flow is discharged upward through the mouth opening 64, then generally radially outward in all directions towards the walls of the tundish 10 as a substantially laminar flow.
  • the molten steel exits the mouth opening 64 into the first compartment 18a.
  • the continuous inflow of the incoming ladle stream and removal of molten steel through the outlet 34 causes the molten steel in compartment 18a to flow towards the weir 26 and through the weir passage 26a. After passing through the weir passage 28, the molten steel flows over the dam 30 and/or through the cylindrical passages30a before being discharged through the output 34.
  • the conical impact surface area 42 has a cone angle ⁇ ( Fig. 5 ), measured from a horizontal plane in which the outer perimeter 48 lies to an oblique plane in which the conical impact surface area 42 lies, in a range of about 15 degrees to about 25 degrees.
  • the lip 66 has a downward lip angle theta ( ⁇ ), measured from a horizontal plane to a plane in which the lower surface 66a of the lip 66 lies, in a range of about 20 degrees to about 25 degrees.
  • the continuous annular chamber has a radius of curvature of about 30 mm.
  • Figs. 8 and 9 illustrate an impact pad according to another exemplary embodiment.
  • the following description focuses on differences between the exemplary embodiment of Figs. 8 and 9 and other exemplary embodiments described above.
  • Like reference characters designate like or corresponding parts in the different exemplary embodiments.
  • protuberances 80 are distributed 360 degrees about the lower lip surface 66a.
  • the protuberances 80 may be uniformly distributed, such as in a matrix pattern, or distributed randomly or otherwise.
  • the outer surfaces of the protuberances 80 have a hemispherical shape.
  • the protuberances 80 may undertake alternative shapes.
  • the protuberances 80 may have identical or varying shapes relative to one another. It has been found that the protuberances 80, especially hemispherical protuberances, further decelerate the outgoing flow of liquid steel as it exits the impact pad 20 through the mouth opening 64. Additionally or alternatively, the protuberances 80 may be located elsewhere on the inner surface of the impact pad.

Landscapes

  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Casting Support Devices, Ladles, And Melt Control Thereby (AREA)
  • Continuous Casting (AREA)
  • Laminated Bodies (AREA)
  • Food-Manufacturing Devices (AREA)
  • Cookers (AREA)
  • Vibration Dampers (AREA)
  • Treatment Of Steel In Its Molten State (AREA)
EP15753879.4A 2014-08-15 2015-08-17 Impact pad, tundish and apparatus including the impact pad, and method of using same Active EP3194095B1 (en)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US201462037949P 2014-08-15 2014-08-15
PCT/US2015/045513 WO2016025948A1 (en) 2014-08-15 2015-08-17 Impact pad, tundish and apparatus including the impact pad, and method of using same

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP3194095A1 EP3194095A1 (en) 2017-07-26
EP3194095B1 true EP3194095B1 (en) 2021-01-06

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Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP15753879.4A Active EP3194095B1 (en) 2014-08-15 2015-08-17 Impact pad, tundish and apparatus including the impact pad, and method of using same

Country Status (12)

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EP (1) EP3194095B1 (zh)
JP (1) JP6511512B2 (zh)
KR (1) KR102372586B1 (zh)
CN (1) CN107073574B (zh)
BR (1) BR112017002959B1 (zh)
CA (1) CA2957935C (zh)
ES (1) ES2856023T3 (zh)
MX (2) MX2017002094A (zh)
RU (1) RU2698026C2 (zh)
UA (1) UA121221C2 (zh)
WO (1) WO2016025948A1 (zh)
ZA (1) ZA201701824B (zh)

Families Citing this family (5)

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Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
TWI739877B (zh) * 2016-08-08 2021-09-21 美商維蘇威美國公司 衝擊墊及減少進入耐火容器的熔融鋼衝擊流之不對準的影響之方法
CN107812929B (zh) * 2017-11-06 2019-10-01 重庆大学 一种中间包及其湍流控制装置
JP7230634B2 (ja) * 2019-03-27 2023-03-01 日本製鉄株式会社 旋回流付与装置、タンディッシュ、鋼の連続鋳造システム及び鋼の連続鋳造方法
CN110814330A (zh) * 2019-12-25 2020-02-21 武汉科技大学 一种连铸中间包顶旋型湍流控制器
CN218252879U (zh) * 2022-09-29 2023-01-10 维苏威高级陶瓷(中国)有限公司 中间包稳流器

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US5072916A (en) * 1990-05-29 1991-12-17 Magneco/Metrel, Inc. Tundish impact pad
US5358551A (en) * 1993-11-16 1994-10-25 Ccpi, Inc. Turbulence inhibiting tundish and impact pad and method of using
CA2174266A1 (en) * 1995-08-14 1997-02-15 John K. Simms Tundish impact pad and method
GB9517633D0 (en) * 1995-08-30 1995-11-01 Foseco Int Tundish impact pad
FR2756762B1 (fr) * 1996-12-11 1998-12-31 Ugine Savoie Sa Reservoir d'alimentation destine a retenir un metal fondu et notamment un acier
DE10202537C1 (de) * 2002-01-24 2003-01-23 Intocast Ag Feuerfestprodukte Pralltopf
ZA200206261B (en) * 2002-03-28 2003-04-07 Foseco Int Metallurgical impact pad.
US6929775B2 (en) * 2002-09-04 2005-08-16 Magneco/Metrel, Inc. Tundish impact pad
CN2578013Y (zh) * 2002-11-14 2003-10-08 武汉钢实星源工业总公司 连铸中间包防湍流冲击垫
DE10257395A1 (de) * 2002-12-06 2004-06-24 Weerulin Feuerfeste Produkte Gmbh & Co. Kg Einlegekörper für Zwischenbehälter
DE202005004118U1 (de) 2005-03-11 2005-07-21 Weerulin Gmbh Einlegekörper für Zwischenbehälter
RU77811U1 (ru) * 2008-05-21 2008-11-10 Лариса Николаевна Белобородова Промежуточный ковш для непрерывной разливки металла
RU2507028C1 (ru) * 2012-12-06 2014-02-20 Общество С Ограниченной Ответственностью "Группа "Магнезит" Металлоприемник

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Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
CN107073574A (zh) 2017-08-18
CN107073574B (zh) 2020-06-26
WO2016025948A1 (en) 2016-02-18
CA2957935C (en) 2023-05-16
EP3194095A1 (en) 2017-07-26
JP6511512B2 (ja) 2019-05-15
ZA201701824B (en) 2018-08-29
RU2017108202A (ru) 2018-09-17
BR112017002959A2 (pt) 2017-12-05
CA2957935A1 (en) 2016-02-18
BR112017002959B1 (pt) 2021-08-24
KR102372586B1 (ko) 2022-03-08
MX2022001364A (es) 2022-03-17
RU2698026C2 (ru) 2019-08-21
MX2017002094A (es) 2018-01-16
RU2017108202A3 (zh) 2019-03-22
JP2017535430A (ja) 2017-11-30
ES2856023T3 (es) 2021-09-27
UA121221C2 (uk) 2020-04-27
KR20170072871A (ko) 2017-06-27

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