Finite Element Thermal-Mechanical Coupled Analysis of Strand Bulging Deformation in Continuous Casting

In order to reduce the internal cracks and control the quality of the steel strand in continuous casting, a thermal-mechanical model considering the movement of the strand, real roll arrangement and caster structure, has been established with the elasto-viscoplastic constitution to predict the three dimensional temperature distribution and bulging deformation of the strand. Using the sequentially coupled finite element method the model is solved numerically, and is validated by the comparisons of the simulation results and measured data. The model is suitable for future research on the whole strand bulging deformation to help improve the strand quality in continuous casting.