2003 Volume 43 Issue 10 Pages 1538-1547
A piston type metal delivery system has been designed for the single belt strip caster at the McGill Metals Processing Centre (MMPC) of McGill University, and water modeling equipment set up to validate the proposed enclosed metal delivery system. Water flows were inspected using dye injection, and velocity fields were measured with a dual Nd: YAG PIV (Particle Image Velocimetry) system using the metal delivery nozzles proposed for optimum delivery of liquid steel. Mathematical modeling was also carried out to help anticipate flow patterns in the output chamber and the exit nozzle. When a slot type nozzle was used without a flow-modifier, a strong jet flow impinging on the substrate was generated. Bubbles generated during the initial filling of the delivery system were entrapped within re-circulatory flows in the output chamber. Bubbles were removed using a three hole type nozzle, but the impinging jet flow still remained. The FD type nozzle which had a multi-channel as a flow modifier, a slot type inlet nozzle located at the right side of the multi-channel, and an upper chamber which had the same height as the inlet slot length, was found to be outstanding for bubble removal, moderating strongly impinging flows, and providing uniform exit flows. Calculated flows were shown to be good agreement with PIV measurements.
