2001 Volume 87 Issue 4 Pages 167-174
An electromagnetic brake (EMBR) has been developed in order to reduce non-metallic inclusions in slab by means of reducing downward molten steel flow in a continuous casting machine. However, it was reported that the conventional EMBR, which imposes static magnetic field parallel to slab thickness direction, had a problem that the non-metallic inclusions in the vicinity of width edges werenot effectively reduced, especially when the slab width was small. The reason is considered that the electromagnetic force is not strong enough to prevent the downward flow from carrying the inclusions deep into the strand in the vicinity of the width edges, though the downward flow velocity is highest in the region. The force in the region is weak because electric current parallel to the slab width direction is small.
In this study, a new EMBR, which imposes static magnetic field parallel to slab width direction, has been proposed as a countermeasure for the reported problem. By computer simulations and model experiments using liquid gallium, it was demonstrated that the new EMBR suppressed the downward flow more effectively than the conventional. The region where the downward velocity was high was extinguished. By using the new EMBR, upward electromagnetic force induced by the magnetic field parallel to slab width direction and the electric current parallel to slab thickness direction brakes the downward flow effectively in the vicinity of the width edges.
