Verification Of Continuous Casting Process Of Steel Round Billets Using Numerical Modelling

Continuous casting technology is currently the primary method in production of steel billets and slabs. The primary and secondary cooling must ensure the continuous casting of steel without strand breakouts and other interruptions with an acceptable level of external and internal defects. One of the ways to monitor and optimize the production steps from the casting up to the process of forming of continuously cast steel billets is the use of method of numerical modelling. The aim of numerical modelling in the ProCAST simulation programme realized under the conditions of the Department of Metallurgy and Foundry and Regional Materials Science and Technology Centre at VSB-TU Ostrava, and in the cooperation with MECAS ESI s.r.o. company is the optimization of production of continuously cast round steel billets with a diameter 130 mm in ArcelorMittal Ostrava a.s. The temperature field, the thickness of the solidified shell, the metallurgical length, the porosity and the risk of hot tears and cracks were predicted. To achieve mentioned results, the different type of the geometry, computational mesh and also a definition of the numerical model should be used. The paper describes the pre-processing, processing and post-processing phases of individual numerical models. Also, the problem with the determination of the thermodynamic properties of materials is discussed. The advantages and disadvantages of given calculations are outlined.