ISIJ International, Vol. 45 (2005), No. 9, pp.

12911296

Mathematical Heat Transfer Model Research for the Improve-

ment of Continuous Casting Slab Temperature

Hongming WANG, Guirong LI, Yucheng LEI, Yutao ZHAO, Qixun DAI and Junjie WANG1)

Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, P. R. China.
E-mail: whmlgr@sina.com 1) Steelmaking plant of No.3, Wu-Han Iron and Steel Group Corp., Wuhan 430080, P. R. China.
(Received on March 8, 2005; accepted on June 1, 2005 )

To improve the temperature of continuous casting slab, a mathematical heat transfer model simulating
the solidification process of continuous casting slab was developed based on the technical conditions of the
slab caster of Steelmaking plant of Wu-Han Iron and Steel Group Corp., by which the slab temperature dis-
tribution and shell thickness were computed. The adequacy of the model was compared with the measured
slab surface temperature at the caster exit. The effects of the main operation parameters including casting
speed, secondary cooling conditions, slab size and steel melt superheat on the solidification process were
discussed and the means of enhancing the slab temperature was brought forward. Raising the casting
speed from 1.0 or 1.1 to 1.3 m/min, controlling the flow rate of secondary cooling water and optimizing the
spray pattern at the lower segments of secondary cooling zone could effectively improve the slab tempera-
ture. Whereas increasing the superheat is adverse to the production of slab with high temperature. The re-
sults of model research have been applied to plant operation at Steelmaking plant of Wu-Han Iron and Steel
Group Corp. The slab surface temperature has risen from 900 to 1 250C, and the slab are directly fed to the
rolling mill after exiting caster.
KEY WORDS: mathematical heat transfer model; continuous casting; slab temperature.

along the slab withdrawal direction is neglected.

1. Introduction
Continuous casting and direct rolling technology has be-
come the primary method of producing steel billets, blooms
and slabs for the integrated iron and steel works to save en-
ergy and cost, to improve the productivity and quality of
products and to realize the integrated manufacture of steel-
making, continuous casting and hot rolling.1) However the
application of this technology is still in a rather low level in
many steelmaking plants, especially in developing coun-
tries. The production of non-defective slabs with higher
temperature is the precondition of the application of this
technology.2) So, in this paper, a precise and practicable
heat transfer model simulating the solidification process of
continuous casting slab has been established based on the
operative conditions of the slab caster of Steelmaking plant
of Wu-Han Iron and Steel Group Corp. The influences of
operating parameters on slab solidification process have
been investigated to find the optimal operating parameters
for the production of slabs with higher temperature.
2. Mathematical Model Formulation
2.1. Assumptions in Modeling
The following assumptions were made in the formulating
of the model:
a) Heat transfer along the direction of slab width and
thickness is recognized as axial symmetry and that
b) The density of steel is constant, but the specific heat
capacity and the heat conductivity of steel are the tem-
perature-dependent properties.
c) The latent heat of steel solidification is converted into
an equivalent specific heat capacity in the mushy zone
(semisolid zone).35)
d) The fluid flow is expected to affect thermal field via
enhanced heat transfer and then an effective thermal
conductivity is employed in the liquid core and mushy
zone of slab.57)
2.2. Governing Equation
According to the above assumptions, a two-dimensional
unsteady state heat transfer equation is available as follows:
T T T
C
x  y y ...........(1)
t x
where r is density, C is specific heat capacity, T is the slab
temperature, t is time, x is coordinate of the width direction,
y is coordinate of the thickness direction and l is the ther-
mal conductivity of steel.
Due to the axial symmetry heat transfer, one quarter of
slab cross-section is selected as calculation area, as shown
as Fig. 1.
The specific heat capacity, C, is determined as following
expression6,7):

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 ISIJ International, Vol. 45 (2005), No. 9

Qwk
Wk
.................................(8)
Ak

where Ak is the sprayed area of the k section and Qwk is the

water flow rate in the k section.
(3) Radiation Cooling Zone

Fig. 1. Schematic diagram of coordinate and calculation area. T


C0 (T 4Ta4 ) hc (T Ta ) ...........(9)
n

C (T ) T Tsol or T Tliq where e is the emissivity of slab surface, C0 is the Stefan

C
f sol .........(2) Boltzman constant, Ta is the ambient temperature and hc is
C (T ) L Tsol T Tliq the coefficient of convective heat transfer in the air, which
T
is calculated as follows.11)
where C(T) is the specific heat capacity of solid steel or liq- Wide surface of slab (y
0):
uid steel, which is a function of temperature, Tliq is the liq-
hc
1.43(TsTa )1/3 ..........................(10)
uidus temperature of steel, Tsol is the solidus temperatures
of steel and fsol is the solid fraction in mushy zone, which is Narrow surface of slab (x
0):
assumed to be a linear function of temperature between liq-
hc
1.42(TsTa )/Sthi)1/4 ..................................(11)
uidus and solidus as8,9):
where Sthi is the slab thickness.
0 T Tliq
(4) Symmetrical Plane
TliqT
f sol
Tsol T Tliq .................(3)
T
TliqTsol x

S wid S
, 0  y  thi ,  k
0
1 T Tsol 2 2 x
......(12)
S S T
y
thi , 0  x  wid ,  k
0
Considering effect of convection on heat transfer process 2 2 y
in the liquid core and mushy zone within the slab, the ther-
mal conductivity is given as an effective value, l eff6): where Swid is the slab width. The two axial symmetry
planes of slab are adiabatic boundaries.
l eff
l sol[76fsol].............................(4)
where l sol is thermal conductivity of solid steel. 2.4. Initial Condition

2.3. Boundary Conditions T(x,y,t)|t
0
Tcast............................(13)

(1) In mould where Tcast is the steel casting temperature, which is mea-
sured in tundish.
T

hm (T Twf ) ......................(5)
n 3. Computation and Verification

The Eq. (1) is solved numerically by finite-difference

where hm is the convective heat transfer coefficient in
mould and Twf is the temperature of cooling water.
In this research, hm is obtained by experimental testing
on the operating caster.10)
(2) Secondary Cooling Zone
T ness are predicted by the model, whose accuracy is con-

hk (T Twf ) ......................(6)
n firmed with the measured temperatures at the exit of contin-
k
where k is the secondary cooling section number. In this re-
search, the secondary cooling zone is divided into 9 sec-
tions according to the flow rate, e.g. k is 1 to 9. hk is the
convective heat transfer coefficient in the k section, which
can be calculated as the following expression6,11):
hk
hak Wkrhrk (1k9) ....................(7)
where hak , r and hrk are the parameters of nozzle, for air-
mist spray nozzle, hak is 0.35, r is 0.556 and hrk is 0.13, re-
spectively, and Wk is the sprayed water density, which is
calculated as follows:
2005 ISIJ
method and the discrete equation group of complete im-
plied format is formulated.12) The computing software is
programmed in FORTRAN code, which needs being input
the informative dates including the steel grade, casting tem-
perature, slab size, casting speed and the spray cooling con-
ditions. The slab temperature distribution and shell thick-
uous caster.
Table 1 shows the comparison between the calculated
slab surface center temperatures and the measured values.
The table also reflects that the biggest relative error be-
tween calculated and measured temperatures is no more
than 1.95%. So the model is believable and applicable.
4. Results and Discussions
The effects of operation parameters on slab temperature
were investigated through the model. The principal simula-
tion parameters and thermo-physical properties are shown
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 ISIJ International, Vol. 45 (2005), No. 9
in Table 2. In Table 3 the distance of the top surface of
each secondary cooling zone below the meniscus and the
water flow rate of every spray segment are given.
4.1. Effect of Casting Speed
Figure 2 shows the effects of casting speed (Vc) on slab
temperature and shell thickness. As shown in Fig. 2, the in-
creasing of casting speed can make the temperature of slab
exiting caster enhanced evidently. Especially the central
temperature of slab (Tcen) is affected most greatly. The rea-
son for this is that the increasing of casting speed causes
the holding time of slab in the secondary cooling zones
shortened and the length of liquid core extended. The latent
heat of steel solidification keeps the slab temperature in a
high level. At the same time, the shell thickness in initial
solidification stage is thinned with the casting speed in-
creasing, as shown in Fig. 2(b) and Fig. 2(c), which often
easily induces the bleed out, bulging, inner cracks or other
defects.6) So the casting speed is limited in the prevention
of these unfavorable things from occurrence. As can be
Table 1. Comparison between calculated and measured tem-
perature of slabs at caster exit.
Table 2. Main simulation parameters and thermo-physical
properties.
Table 3. Distance of the top surface of each secondary cooling zone below the meniscus and the flow rate of spray.
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seen from Fig. 2(b), on the given cooling conditions, if the
casting speed is increased to 1.4 m/min, the slab couldnt be
solidified completely while arriving at caster exit. The cor-
responding measures, for example, intensifying the cooling
capability of mould and secondary cooling zone, should be
adopted.
For the slab caster of Steelmaking plant of Wu-Han Iron
and Steel Group Corp., when the casting speed is increased
from 1.1 m/min at present to 1.3 m/min, the shell thickness
of slab exiting the mould is thicker than 17 mm, which is a
safety value for operation according to the results of
Samaresekeras past study,13) and the length of liquid core
will not exceed the max metallurgical length of the caster.
At the same time, while the slab exiting the caster, its cen-
tral temperature can be increased from 1 282 to 1 400C,
Fig. 2. Effect of casting speed on the temperature and the shell
thickness: (a) temperature, (b) shell thickness and (c)
shell thickness around the mould.
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 ISIJ International, Vol. 45 (2005), No. 9

the average temperature of slab cross-section (Tave) in-

creased from 1 104 to 1 205C, and the temperature of slab
surface center (Tsur) simultaneously increased from 938 to
1 000C.
4.2. Effect of Secondary Cooling Conditions
(1) Water Flow Rate
The effects of the water flow rate of secondary cooling
zone on the slab temperature and the shell thickness are in-
vestigated according to the practical condition of casting
speed (1.1 m/min). The results are shown in Fig. 3.
The slab temperature is increased obviously as decreas-
ing the specific water flow rate. As the water flow rate of
every spray segment decreasing by 30 L min1 or 60 L min1
from the normal condition, the slab surface center tempera- Fig. 3. Effect of water flow rate on slab temperature and shell
ture at exit of caster is enhanced about 70 or 175C respec- thickness.
tively. This indicates that, on the present condition of the
casting speed, the slab with high temperature can be ob-
tained by decreasing the secondary cooling water. At the
same time, lessening the secondary cooling water can re-
duce the temperature gradient of slab, minish the thermal
stress in the metal during solidification, weaken the growth
of column crystal and increase the ratio of equiaxed grain
and lighten the segregation.13) The shell thickness curves in
Fig. 3 show that the location of complete solidification of
the liquid core can extend to the end of caster with the de-
crease of spray water flow rate. So an optimal water flow
rate to control the location of the final solidification can be
calculated according to the metallurgical-length rule.

(2) Spray Patterns at the Lower Segments of Secondary

Cooling Zone
The four spray patterns have been studied via the model:
pattern 1 is normally spray cooling, 2 is no spraying at the
last segment, 3 is half of water flow rate sprayed at the last
and the second last segments, 4 is no spraying at the last
segment and half of water flow rate at the second last seg-
ment.
Figure 4 presents the effects of these spray patterns on
the slab temperature. The Tsur, Tave and the slab corner tem-
perature (Tcor) are enhanced remarkably with the lessening
of water flow rate sprayed at the end of secondary cooling
zone. Whereas the Tcen is little enhanced and then the slab
liquid core is little lengthened. That is to say, the decrease
of water flow rate in final spray cooling zones is not very
limited by the length of slab liquid core, so it is an effective
measure to improve the temperature. For the slab caster of
Steelmaking plant no. 3 of Wu-Han Iron and Steel Group
Corp., the reason that the slab temperature continuously fell
in the horizontal section was too much water sprayed in the
last and the second last segments.2) As for the spray pattern
2, no water spray at the last segment of secondary cooling
zone, the slab surface temperature is re-raised up sharply,
which is likely to cause the surface defects of slab, espe-
cially for the steel grade of high-sensitivity of hot
cracking.14) So this pattern is not advisable. As regard the
spray pattern 3, the slab surface temperature is re-raised
gradually whereas the average temperature of slab cross-
section continuously falls. As a result, the temperature gra-
dient in slab transect is reduced and then such defects of
slab as surface or corner cracks are controlled. As regard
Fig. 4. Effect of spray patterns at the lower segments of sec-
ondary cooling zone on slab temperature.
the spray pattern 4, both the temperatures of slab surface
and that of slab corner are re-raised more than that under
the spray pattern 2. And then the temperature gradient in
slab transect is less than that under the spray pattern 2. At
the same time, the slab surface temperature gradient along
the slab withdrawal direction is reduced compared with the
spray pattern 2. Therefore, the spray pattern 4 is more ad-
visable than pattern 2. As a conclusion, taking the soft-
cooling pattern at the lower part of secondary cooling zone
may be favoring to realize the production of high tempera-
ture slab, but it is limited by the permissible slab surface
temperature gradient along withdrawal direction, which is
about 200C/m.15,16)
4.3. Effect of Slab Size
Figure 5 shows the effects of slab size on the tempera-
ture and shell growth on condition that the water flow den-
sity of secondary cooling zone is fixed. As can be seen
from Fig. 5(a), the slab temperature rises up with the in-
crease of the slab size. And the variation of slab width has
little effect on Tsur, but has great effect on Tave and Tcen. The
reason for this is that the increase of slab size has little ef-
fect on the shell thickness in initial solidification stage and
so Tsur is little affected, and with the slab size increase, the
position of complete solidification extends to the caster end
in final solidifying stage, as shown in Fig. 5(b), which
makes Tave and Tcen of large-sized slab enhance. As a result,

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 ISIJ International, Vol. 45 (2005), No. 9
Fig. 5. Effect of slab size on (a) temperature and (b) shell thick-
ness.
the slab size can be increased properly to improve the tem-
perature. In production, when the slab width is adjusted up
online, the measures that the increasing of cooling water in
mould and secondary spray zone or the decreasing of cast-
ing speed, must be taken to make the slab solidify com-
pletely and prevent the slab from bulging and break out.
This is the reason that the 2501 500 mm slab was cast at
1.0 m/min and the 2301 300 mm slab was cast at
1.2 m/min in Steelmaking plant of Wu-Han Iron and Steel
Group Corp.
4.4. Effect of Superheat
Figure 6 shows the effects of superheat on the slab tem-
perature and shell thickness. As can be seen that the in-
crease of superheat has little effect on slab temperature at
the caster exit, especially on Tsur and Tave. But in the initial
solidification stage, a higher superheat causes the slab tem-
perature enhanced markedly, then the shell growth gets
slower and the shell gets thinner, and hence, the slab
bulging, break out and other defects easily occur and the
casting speed must be cut down. So a higher superheat of
metal is adverse to the production of high temperature
slabs.
5. Application in the Plant Operation
The results of model investigations have already been ap-
plied to the plant operations since December 2003. At
Steelmaking plant of Wu-Han Iron and Steel Group Corp.,
the operating parameters of the slab caster have been ad-
justed to produce high temperature slabs. The casting speed
of 2501 500 mm slabs has been enhanced to 1.3 m min1
from 1.0 m min1, the casting temperature of Q235 steel is
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Fig. 6. Effect of superheat on slab temperature and shell thick-
ness.
Fig. 7. Comparison between before and after adjusting operation
parameters.
decreased from 1 542 to 1 537C and the water flow rate of
each spray cooling zone was decreased by 10 to 25 L,
min1 . At the same time, the length of spray cooling zones
was shortened by stopping spray at the last spray cooling
zone where sprayed before. Now, the temperature of slab
center surface has exceeded 1 250C when the slab arrives
at the caster exit. At the same time, the location of slab final
solidification extends to the caster exit nearly, as shown in
Fig. 7. In practice, considering that some operation parame-
ters or conditions may fluctuate, which is likely to result in
the final solidification point exceeding the end of caster, it
is about 3 m away from the cutter to the caster exit. So the
operation is safety after adjusting the operative parameters.
After this adjusting, Fig. 8 indicates the temperature of
slab cross section at the exit of mould. As can be seen from
the figure that shell thickness of slab exiting the mould is
about 18 mm, which is thick enough for the safe operation.
Figure 9 shows the effect of adjusting the operation pa-
rameters on the temperature distribution of slab cross sec-
tion at the exit of caster. It can be seen that the slab temper-
ature is enhanced remarkably by adjusting the operation pa-
rameters. The temperature of most area in slab cross section
is higher than 1 200C, which is acceptable for direct hot
rolling. As regards that the temperature of the slab corner is
lower than 1 000C, heat preservation measures needs to be
taken during the delivering process. Then the slab corner
2005 ISIJ
 ISIJ International, Vol. 45 (2005), No. 9
Fig. 8. The temperature distribution of slab cross section at the mould exit after adjusting the operation parameters.
Fig. 9. The compare of the temperature distribution of slab cross section at the caster exit between before and after ad-
justing the operation parameters.
can be reheated and the slab temperature distribution gets
uniform. So after exiting caster, the slabs are directly fed to
the hot rolling mills, which is to say, the CC-DR is realized.
6. Conclusions
(1) To improve the continuous casting slab temperature
for CC-DR process, a heat transfer model on slab solidifica-
tion process has been formulated to predict the temperature
distribution and solidification status in the process of cast-
ing under different operating conditions. The effects of op-
erating parameters on slab temperature and solidification
process have been investigated to find that casting speed,
the pattern of spray cooling zone and slab size are the main
parameters influencing the slab temperature. Whereas the
superheat should be exactly controlled low.
(2) For the slab caster of Steelmaking plant of Wu-Han
Iron and Steel Group Corp., both lessening the water flow
rate in spray cooling zone and enhancing the casting speed
can make the location of complete solidification extend to
the end of caster and improve the slab temperature. For the
steel grade insensitive to hot-cracking, lessening the water
sprayed or stop spraying at the lower part of secondary
cooling zone can improve the slab temperature furthest and
has little effect on the location of complete solidification.
(3) According to the model investigations, the operat-
ing parameters have been adjusted to produce high temper-
ature slab successfully and CC-DR process is realized.
2005 ISIJ
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