Improvement in steel cleanliness of central strand in billet caster

Abstract

JSW Steel, Vijayanagar works operates a 44 T, eight-strand billet caster for continuous casting. Such large volume tundish has large differences between the central and the end strands from the shroud which affects the cleanliness and solidification between different strands. With an aim to improve the steel cleanliness in central strands, water modelling studies were carried out in a 0.25-scale perspex water model. Different configurations of dams were studied under steady and unsteady state conditions. The combination of the wedge and V-shaped dam configuration resulted in increasing the mean residence time of the central strand without affecting the flow behaviour of the last strands. Residence time at central strands increased by 15% and does not affect the vortex formation height. It was further validated on a plant scale tundish. Plant trials demonstrated a reduction in inclusion area percentage by 21% confirming the improved steel cleanliness in central strands.