Simulation of flow in a continuous galvanizing bath: Part I. Thermal effects of ingot addition
Abstract
A numerical analysis has been developed to simulate the velocity and temperature fields in an industrial galvanizing bath for the continuous coating of steel strip. Operating variables such as ingot addition, line speed, and inductor mixing were evaluated in order to determine their effect on the velocity and temperature distribution in the bath. The simulations were carried out using high-performance computational fluid-dynamics software developed at the Industrial Materials Institute of the National Research Council Canada (IMI-NRC) in solving the incompressible Navier-Stokes equations for steady-state and transient turbulent flow using the k-ɛ model. Cases with and without temperature-dependent density conditions were considered. It was found that the strip velocity does not alter the global flow pattern but modifies the velocities in the snout, near the strip, and near the sink and guide rolls. At a low inductor capacity, the effect of induced mixing is small but is considerably increased at the maximum inductor capacities used during ingot-melting periods. When considering the thermal effects, the flow is affected by variations in density especially near the inductors and the ingot, while little effect is observed near the sheet-and-roller region. Thermal effects are also amplified when the inductor operates at high capacity during ingot melting. The simulations allow visualization of regions of varying velocity and temperature fields and clearly illustrate the mixed and stagnant zones for different operating conditions.
- Publication:
-
Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B
- Pub Date:
- February 2004
- DOI:
- 10.1007/s11663-004-0106-5
- Bibcode:
- 2004MMTB...35..161A