Chilled continuous casting mould for casting metal
A cooled continuous casting mold for casting metal, in particular steel, in slab format and having, in particular, a thickness between 40 and 400 mm and a width from 200 mm to 3,500 mm, with mold walls formed of plates in which cooling medium channels for cooling are formed, is so improved that the thermal loading over the mold profile is uniform and, therefore, the hot face temperature of the liquid metal level may be reduced, and to this end, a width (26.1) of the cooling medium channels (29) is reduced, in a casting direction dependent on a thermal flow profile (2.1), over a mold height (13) from a mold inlet (13.1) to a mold outlet (13.2).
The invention relates to a cooled continuous casting mold for casting metal, in particular steel, in slab format and having, in particular, a thickness between 40 and 400 mm and a width from 200 mm to 3,500 mm, with mold walls formed of plates and with cooling medium channels for cooling.
With the help of
The incoming thermal flow at the face boundary 21 between the copper plate 7 and the course of the cooling water 9 (called “cold face”) must overcome the interface resistance 22 between the copper of the mold plate and the cooling water, with the copper plate 7 defining a hot face temperature or a temperature gradient 25 between the face boundaries 21 and 21.1 which designates a face boundary between the copper plate 7 and the slag film 6 or the strand shell 5. The temperature gradient depends on the strength of the thermal flow over the mold height (13) and on the interface resistance at the boundary face copper/water (21). It is also known that the thermal flow diminishes from the liquid metal level 30 to the mold outlet 13.2 in accordance with a profile 2.1 known as a “thermal beam.”
The interface resistance 22 is determined by the size of the cooling channels 26 extending parallel to each other over the mold height 13, here in form of cooling slots, and having a width (26.1), depth (26.2), which define a flow cross-section Q (26.3), and a length (26.4) corresponding somewhat to the mold height (13) minus the boundary layer (Nernst layer) of the cooling water, which represents a function of the flow velocity (
In the known molds, the interface resistance 22 is constant over the mold height 13. The cooling channel can be formed either as cooling bores 28 (not shown) with a constant diameter and with or without displacement bars 28.1 or as cooling slots 26 with water guiding plates 26.7 (
In summary, it can be said that according to the state of the art, in any mold format (in slab, bloom, billet, profile and strip plants, etc.), the percentage water overlay (27.2) over the mold width, whether the cooling bore 28 or the cooling slots 26 are used, and over the mold height 13 geometrically and, therefore, in its operational cooling action remains uniform.
These ISO-design or uniform design of the mold cooling over the mold height leads, as a result of a strand shell being located closely adjacent to the wall immediately beneath the liquid metal level 30 and a following shrinkage of the strand shell 5 over the mold height 13, to an increased thermal flow and thereby simultaneously to a high hot face temperature of the copper plate 23. This high temperature of the copper plate 23 leads to a danger of the recrystallization temperature T-Cu—Re (31) of the rolled copper (see
This danger of exceeding the recrystallization temperature (T-Cu—Re) of the mold plate increases with increased casting velocities.
This tabular representation of the characteristic mold data shows that an increased thermal loading of the mold represented by a load of 2.2/3.2 MW/m2, which characterizes the thermal flow (2) or the thermal loading of the mold, in case of a thin slab (32) in comparison with a standard slab (33), leads to a larger percentage water overlay (27.2) of 60-40%, an increased water velocity (10) of 12-8 m/s, a smaller copper plate thickness (18.1) of 25-15 mm, and a higher mold cooling water pressure (26.6) of 12-8 bar. This increased thermal loading or the increased thermal flow in the mold leads, in case of a thin slab (32), to a reduced slag film thickness (18.2) of 0.4-0.2 mm, an increased casting velocity (14) of the thin slab (32), and a smaller slab thickness (34/32) or (34.1). Simultaneously, one can see that the mold hot face temperature at the, adjacent to the steel, side (23), dependent on the casting velocity, lies between 300° C. and 400° and closer to the recrystallization temperature (31) of the cold rolled copper than for the standard slab. The recrystallization temperature of the cold rolled copper lies, dependent on the copper quality, between 350° C. (Cu—Ag) and 700° C. (Cu—CuZr) or 500° C. (softening temperature).
A further reduction of the Cu-plate thickness (18.1) because of high water pressure (at the mold cooling water inlet (26.6)) in the bores (28) or cooling slots (26) and a resulting possible mechanical bulging of the adjacent to the steel, copper plate surface, hot face, would be difficult to achieve.
The object of the invention is to provide a continuous casting mold in which the thermal loading over the mold height, i.e., the thermal profile over the mold height is uniform, whereby the mold hot face temperature at the liquid metal level can be reduced.
This object is achieved with a continuous casting mold having the features of claim 1. Advantageous embodiments are set forth in the subclaims.
It is proposed, according to the invention, to improve the continuous casting mold by reducing the width of the cooling medium channel in the casting direction from the mold inlet to the mold outlet in accordance with the thermal flow profile over the mold height.
The width designates the length of extension of the channel wall which (substantially) extends along the hot plate inner wall. Here, the cooling channels have preferably a rectangular cross-section. However, use of elliptical shapes can also be contemplated.
According to the invention, the face boundary surface between the mold plate wall and the cooling water diminishes from the mold inlet to the mold outlet.
According to a first embodiment, the width of the cooling medium channels diminish approximately functionally to the thermal flow profile over the mold height between the mold inlet and the mold outlet in the casting direction, whereby the boundary lines or surfaces of a cooling medium channel or adjacent cooling medium channels do not extend parallel to each other.
According to a second embodiment, the width of the cooling medium channels diminishes approximately linear in the casting direction, whereby the boundary lines or surfaces of a cooling medium channel or adjacent cooling medium channels extend not parallel to each other, but at an acute angle to each other.
This means that the width of a cooling channel diminishes linearly over the mold height, whereby the boundary surfaces of adjacent channels, which have a rectangular cross-section, extend to each other at a defined angle, or the lines of adjacent channels, which have an elliptical cross-section, viewed in a plane extending through common center points of the channels and parallel to the cooled plate surface, form with each other a defined angle.
According to a particular advantageous embodiment, the cooling channels are so formed that the depth of the channels over the mold height increases from the mold inlet to the mold outlet in the casting direction.
The depth is a measurement of the cooling channels which, together with the width, is taken into account when calculating the surface area.
According to a particular advantageous embodiment, dependent on a reduction of the width, an increase of the depth over the mold height so changes that a size of a respective cross-sectional surface of a cooling channel remains constant from the mold inlet to the mold outlet, so that flow velocity of a cooling medium, in the cooling medium channels, remains constant from the mold inlet to the mold outlet. Because of a constant resistance of a cooling channel between the mold cooling water inlet and the mold cooling water outlet, the flow velocity of the cooling water does not change.
Preferably, the water boxes are used for supplying the cooling channels formed in the mold wall plates. Here, the water box outlet is provided at the height of the mold inlet, and water box inlet is provided at the height of the mold outlet. Advantageously, the water delivery takes place above the liquid metal level at the mold inlet, and the water return takes place at the mold outlet, thereby in the region of the liquid metal level beneath which largest thermal loading occurs, a cold, thermally non-loaded water with the greatest cooling capacity or most remote from the vaporization point of water at a pressure between 1 and 25 bar acts.
Other advantageous features are disclosed in claims 7 through 12.
As cooling channels, cooling slots or cooling boxes can be used. The cooling channels are provided in a side of the plate remote from the mold side or in a separate intermediate plate. To obtain desired cross-sectional surfaces, the cooling slots are closed, over the mold height, with correspondingly formed water guiding plates the width of which is adapted, over the mold height from the mold inlet to the mold outlet, to the changes of the width of the cooling channel course, i.e., is reduced, and their thickness advantageously correspondingly diminishes over the mold height from the mold inlet to the mold outlet, so that they flash adjoin the remote side of the plate.
This drawing figure also makes clear, e.g. that the flow velocity, despite a large water overlay in the region of the liquid metal level 30, remains constant because the flow cross-section Q-(26.3) remains constant as a result of the corresponding increase of the cooling channel depth 26.2 over the mold height from the mold inlet to the mold outlet.
1. Oscillating mold
2. Thermal flow
2.1 Profile of the thermal flow over the mold height, (“thermal beam”)
3. Drop of Potential, U
4. Mold or strand center
5. Strand shell
6. Slag film
7. Mold plate-broad side
7.1 Mold plate-marrow side
8. Cooper plat thickness between slag and water or between hot and cold face
9. Mold cooling water
10. Velocity of the mold cooling water, in m/s
11. Pressure of the mold cooling water at the mold cooling water inlet in bar.
12. Temperature of the mold cooling water at the cooling water inlet, T-O in ° C.
13. Mold height parallel to the casting velocity in a withdrawal direction or along the mold length.
13.1 Mold inlet
13.2 Mold outlet
14. Strand casting direction with the casting velocity in m/min (max. 15 m/min)
15. Total resistance, R-total.
16. Individual media between the mold center (4) and mold water (9) such as e.g., liquid steel, refractory material, strand shell, slag, mold plate, e.g., of copper
17. Discrete resistance, RI
18. Resistance length R in m
18.1 Thickness of the copper plate 1-Cu, hot/cold face, in mm
19. Specific thermal conductivity, λ, in W/K×m
20. Conducting cross-section, F.
20.1 Mass flow equation U=ΣRi×J; ΣRi=(1/λ×F)
21. Face boundary copper plate (7)/mold cooling water (9), cold face
21.1 Face boundary copper plate (7), slag film (6) or strand shell (5), hot face
22. Interface resistance copper/water, Nernst boundary layer
23. Hot face temperature copper/case shell (hot face) of parallel channels (26)
23.1 Profile of hot face temperature over the mold height.
23.2 Hot face-temperature of non-parallel cooling channels.
23.2.1 Thermoprofile of non-parallel cooling channels (29).
24. High temperature copper/water (cold face)
25. Profile of the temperatures cooper/water (cold face)
26. Cooling channels formed as cooling slot extending parallel to each other over the mold height.
26.1 Cooling channel width
26.2 Cooling channel depth.
26.3 Cooling channel cross-section or flow cross-section, Q
26.4 Cooling channel length corresponding to the mold height (13)
26.5 Flow resistance
26.6 Water pressure at the mold inlet
26.7 Water guilding plates
27. Distance, cooling channel/cooling channel
27.1 Web Width
27.2 Percentage water overlay over the mold width defined as difference between a maximum cooled mold width less non-directly cooled width divided by a cooled mold width or also in 1 approximately as a distance cooling channel/cooling channel less the web width divided by the distance cooling channel/cooling channel, corresponding to conduct cross-section, F (20) in a sense of mass flow equation (20)
28. Cooling bores
28.1 Displacement phase, displacement body
29. Cooling channels, displacement bars, extending non-parallel over the mold height (3)
30. Region of the liquid metal level, liquid metal level
31. Recrystallization temperature of a cold rolled mold copper plat T-Cu—Re.
32. Thin slabs, thin slab thickness 40-150 mm
33. Standard slabs, slab thickness 400-150 mm.
34. Slab thickness, strand thickness
34.1 Thin slabs from 150 to 40 mm
34.2 Standard slabs from 400 to 150 mm
35. Immersion inlet, SEN
35.1 Cast compound
35.2 Cast slag
36. Steel flow
37. Strand
38. Water box
38.1 Water inlet, water outlet
38.1.1. Transition for the mold cooling water from the water box (38.1) in the cooling channels (26) or (29)
38.2. Water return flow, water box inlet
38.2.1. Transition of the mold cooling water from the cooling channels (26) or (29) in the water box (38.2)
39. Locking bolts water box/cooper plate
40. Copper plate with cooling channels
40.1. Copper plat without cooling channels and with an intermediate plate (41)
41. Intermediate plate, with cooling channels (sandwich)
41.1. Intermediate plate (41) with cooling channels that forms directly the water box wall.
Claims
1. A cooled continuous casting mold for casting metal, in particular steel, in slab format and having, in particular, a thickness between 40 and 400 mm and a width from 200 mm to 3,500 mm, with mold walls formed of plates (7, 7.1) and with cooling medium channels for cooling, characterized in that a width (29.1) of the cooling medium channels (29) is reduced, in a casting direction dependent on a thermal flow profile (2.1), over a mold height (13) from a mold inlet (13.1) to a mold outlet (13.2).
2. A cooled continuous casting mold according to claim 1, characterized in that the width (26.1 of the cooling medium channels diminishes, in a casting direction approximately functionally according to the thermal flow profile over the mold height (13) between the mold inlet (13.1) and the mold outlet (13.2).
3. A cooled continuous casting mold according to claim 1, characterized in that the width (26.1) of the cooling medium channels diminishes, in the casting direction, approximately linearly, wherein the boundary lines or surfaces of a cooling medium channel or adjacent cooling medium channels extend not parallel to each other but at an acute angle (29.2) toward each other.
4. A cooled continuous casting mold according to claim 1, 2, or 3, characterized in that depth (26.2) of the cooling medium channels increases, in the casting direction, over the mold height (13) from the mold inlet (13.1) toward the mold outlet (13.2).
5. A cooled continuous casting mold according to claim 4, characterized in that dependent on a reduction of the width, an increase of the depth (26.2) over the mold height (13) so changes that a size of a respective cross-sectional surface (26.3) of a cooling channel remains constant from the mold inlet (13.1) to the mold outlet (13.2), so that the flow velocity of a cooling medium, in the cooling medium channels, remains constant from the mold inlet (13.1) to the mold outlet (13.2).
6. A cooled continuous casting mold according to any of claims 1 through 5, characterized in that water boxes adjoin the plates (7, 7.1) of the mold walls, in particular, copper plates for supplying the cooling channels, wherein water box outlet (38.1) is arranged at a height of the mold inlet (13.1) and a water box inlet (38.2) is arranged at height of the mold outlet (13.2).
7. A cooled continuous casting mold according to any of claims 1 through 6, characterized in that a percentage cooling medium overlay, in particular, water overlay, which is defined by a ratio of a difference between a maximally cooled mold width and a non-directly cooled mold width to the cooled mold width, at mold inlet (13.1), in particular at a height of liquid metal level (30), amounts maximum to 100%, in particular 100%, and at the mold outlet (13.2) minimum to 30%, in particular, minimum 30%.
8. A cooled continuous casting mold according to any of claims 1 through 7, characterized in that cooling medium, cooling water flows over a channel length with a flow velocity between 25 and 2 m/s.
9. A cooled continuous casting mold according to any of claims 1 through 8, characterized in that a thickness of a copper plate (7, 7.1), between melt and the cooling water course, is no smaller than 5 mm.
10. A cooled continuous casting mold according to any of claims 1 through 9, characterized in that a mold cooling water pressure (11) at a water box outlet (38.1) amounts to between 2 and 25 bar.
11. A cooled continuous casting mold according to any of claims 1 through 10, characterized in that a strand casting velocity Vb (14) amounts to between 1 and 15 m/min.
12. A cooled continuous casting mold according to any of claims 1 through 11, characterized in that it operates by feeding steel melt through an immersion nozzle (SEN) (35) and by feeding a cast compound, and in that the mold is an oscillating mold.
13. A cooled continuous casting mold according to any of claims 1 through 12, characterized in that the cooling channels are formed as cooling slots (29) provided in the plate (7, 7.1) before formation of a remote side of the plate (7, 7.1), and that the cooling slots (29) are closed, for obtaining predetermined cross-sectional surfaces over the mold height (13), with correspondingly formed water guiding plates a width of which over the mold height (13) is adapted, from the cooling water inlet (13.1) to the cooling water outlet (13.2), to the width change of the cooling channel course.
14. A cooled continuous casting mold according to any of claims 1 through 12, characterized in that the cooling channels are formed as cooling bores into which displacement bars are inserted.
Type: Application
Filed: Aug 21, 2001
Publication Date: May 12, 2005
Inventor: Fritz-Peter Pleschiutschnigg (Duisburg)
Application Number: 10/362,253