Structural Optimization of Electromagnetic Swirling Flow in Nozzle of Slab Continuous Casting

During the slab continuous casting process, the flow field of molten steel in the mold plays a decisive role in the quality of the slab. In this paper, electromagnetic swirling flow in nozzle technology is proposed to control the flow field in mold. This technology can drive molten steel to rotate inside the submerged entry nozzle by electromagnetic force, thereby controlling the flow field. This research shows that it can reduce the impact of molten steel on the bottom of nozzle and partly reduce the negative pressure at the upper part of nozzle outlet which is even eliminated by optimizing the structure and angle of nozzle. The area of heat flux of the mold wall becomes larger, and the crest value of heat flux gets lower than that without swirling in nozzle and any nozzle optimization. The meniscus fluctuates smoothly, and the flow velocity at the top surface is within a reasonable range. The temperature field distribution in the mold is uniform which was beneficial to the growth of equiaxed crystal and decreased element segregation.