Optimization of Flow Control Device in 300,000t Heavy-duty Casting and Forging CCM Tundish

Fluid flow fields of molten steel were calculated under the different setting of flow control device in the tundish, and the characteristics of flow were investigated by residence time distribution curves (RTD). The results show that the response time and peak time are small without the flow control device installed in the tundish. A suitable design of flow control device could extend the mean residence time of molten steel in the tundish, and increases the volume of piston-type flow zone with decreasing the volume of dead zone. It is found that the effect of flow control adopting turbulence inhibitor 2# and dam is the best. The volume fraction of the dead zone is reduced from 54.19% to 16.51%, and the proportion of dead zone becomes much lower. The dominant role of the dead zone has been replaced by that of the piston-type flow zone. A satisfactory effect of flow control could be achieved by adopting wall 3# if a turbulence inhibitor is not available, and the volume fraction of the dead zone is decreased to 24.32%.