Numerical modeling of porosity and macrosegregation in continuous casting of steel

The continuous casting process is a widely used technique in modern steel plants. However, it is a complicated process that is not well understood. The objective of this research is to model the porosity and macrosegregation due to shrinkage related effects and solid deformation in the continuous casting of steel.

Solid phase movements due to bulging and variable roll gap are modeled with a simple algebraic equation based on assumed slab surface deflection. A simplified single domain fluid flow model is derived to predict the pressure field. When liquid pressure drops to zero, porosity starts to form. The distribution of porosity is calculated using the porosity equation which is based on the mass conservation. A macrosegregation model based on the species conservation is derived. With the relative velocity calculated from the pressure results and the solid velocity, macrosegregation is obtained. Since the solid phase velocity is not zero and mixture density is not assumed to be constant, porosity and macrosegregation due to both solid deformation and shrinkage effects are incorporated.

In order to validate the model, the pressure field of a three-dimensional pure metal solidification system is simulated. The results show the feasibility of the proposed model to predict the fluid flow. The porosity and macrosegregation prediction for different casting conditions are performed. The results confirm the necessity of including solid phase deformation in the prediction of porosity and centerline macrosegregation. The results also reveal the relations between different operating conditions (such as degree of bulging, soft reduction, and casting speed) and the porosity/macrosegregation defects in the final product.