<p>Continuous caster moulds are the last and most important stage in the steelmaking process, where inclusions can either be generated or removed. With increasing casting speed using conventional immersion nozzles critical problems, such as unstable bulk mould flow have been noticed. Mould flux entrapment due to vortex and shearing action from the oscillating surface waves have become of particular concern. It is therefore necessary to have a calm inlet flow at the entrance of the mould. Recently, it has been acknowledged that a swirl blade placed at the upstream of the immersion nozzle effectively resolves the problems arising from unstable bulk mould flow. Therefore, to increase the knowledge of effect of swirling flow on the flow pattern in the mould, fundamental mathematical models of a billet mould equipped with a swirl blade in the nozzle have been developed. The model was used to study the effect of divergent angle of the immersion nozzle and mould aspect ratio on the flow field and temperature distribution inside billets moulds. Data from water model experiments were used to verify the mathematical model predictions. A fairly good agreement was found between physical modeling data and predictions, which ensured that the numerical model is reliable. Thereafter, the differences between square and round billet moulds were studied. Next, the effect of changing aspect ratio of the rectangular mould on the fluid flow and heat transfer, while keeping mould surface area constant, was studied. Two types of immersion nozzles, bottomless and conventional, were also analyzed during the research. The model moulds were changed gradually from a square billet with an aspect ratio of 1x1 to a rectangular billet with an aspect ratio of 3x1. First, the temperature and velocity distributions were calculated. Later, unsteady calculations were done to determine velocity fluctuations on the meniscus level for two types of nozzles and several moulds geometries.</p>

This thesis deals with creation of breakout prediction model implemented via artificial neural network in MATLAB, hence it contains theoretical description of artificial neural networks and also presents how the networks were used for the breakout prediction problem. In addition, models of heat conduction through the mold wall were created and used for generating neccesary data for proper training of artificial neural network. The thesis contains proper description of used numerical methods for solving the heat conduction problems. In the thesis are presented partial results and also results of testing created artificial neural network with usage of real data.

Continuous caster moulds are the last and most important stage in the steelmaking process, where inclusions can either be generated or removed. With increasing casting speed using conventional immersion nozzles critical problems, such as unstable bulk mould flow have been noticed. Mould flux entrapment due to vortex and shearing action from the oscillating surface waves have become of particular concern. It is therefore necessary to have a calm inlet flow at the entrance of the mould. Recently, it has been acknowledged that a swirl blade placed at the upstream of the immersion nozzle effectively resolves the problems arising from unstable bulk mould flow. Therefore, to increase the knowledge of effect of swirling flow on the flow pattern in the mould, fundamental mathematical models of a billet mould equipped with a swirl blade in the nozzle have been developed. The model was used to study the effect of divergent angle of the immersion nozzle and mould aspect ratio on the flow field and temperature distribution inside billets moulds. Data from water model experiments were used to verify the mathematical model predictions. A fairly good agreement was found between physical modeling data and predictions, which ensured that the numerical model is reliable. Thereafter, the differences between square and round billet moulds were studied. Next, the effect of changing aspect ratio of the rectangular mould on the fluid flow and heat transfer, while keeping mould surface area constant, was studied. Two types of immersion nozzles, bottomless and conventional, were also analyzed during the research. The model moulds were changed gradually from a square billet with an aspect ratio of 1x1 to a rectangular billet with an aspect ratio of 3x1. First, the temperature and velocity distributions were calculated. Later, unsteady calculations were done to determine velocity fluctuations on the meniscus level for two types of nozzles and several moulds geometries. / <p>QC 20101110</p>

Beim kontinuierlichen Stranggießen von Stahl werden elektromagnetische Felder zur Strömungsbeeinflussung eingesetzt. In dieser Arbeit wird die Wirkung eines statischen Magnetfeldes auf die Kokillenströmung in einem Modellexperiment untersucht. Das statische Magnetfeld strukturiert die Strömung um, kann lokal die Strömungsgeschwindigkeiten erhöhen und verändert die Ausbildung und Anzahl der für Brammenkokillen typischen großskaligen Wirbel. Es zeigt sich weiterhin, dass die elektrische Leitfähigkeit der Kokillenwände einen entscheidenden Einfluss auf die Wirkung einer elektromagnetischen Bremse hat. Unter isolierenden Wänden werden räumliche Oszillationen des Flüssigmetallstrahles initiiert und es bildet sich zwischen den beiden Kokillenhälften eine asymmetrische Strömung aus. Leitfähige Wände verhindern die Oszillationen und die Kokillenströmung ist symmetrisch. Eine eindeutige bremsende Wirkung der elektromagnetischen Bremse auf den Durchfluss konnte jedoch in beiden Fällen nicht festgestellt werden.

Beim kontinuierlichen Stranggießen von Stahl werden elektromagnetische Felder zur Strömungsbeeinflussung eingesetzt. In dieser Arbeit wird die Wirkung eines statischen Magnetfeldes auf die Kokillenströmung in einem Modellexperiment untersucht. Das statische Magnetfeld strukturiert die Strömung um, kann lokal die Strömungsgeschwindigkeiten erhöhen und verändert die Ausbildung und Anzahl der für Brammenkokillen typischen großskaligen Wirbel. Es zeigt sich weiterhin, dass die elektrische Leitfähigkeit der Kokillenwände einen entscheidenden Einfluss auf die Wirkung einer elektromagnetischen Bremse hat. Unter isolierenden Wänden werden räumliche Oszillationen des Flüssigmetallstrahles initiiert und es bildet sich zwischen den beiden Kokillenhälften eine asymmetrische Strömung aus. Leitfähige Wände verhindern die Oszillationen und die Kokillenströmung ist symmetrisch. Eine eindeutige bremsende Wirkung der elektromagnetischen Bremse auf den Durchfluss konnte jedoch in beiden Fällen nicht festgestellt werden.