On the interactive effects of mould taper and superheat on air gaps in continuous casting

The formation of an air gap in continuous casting systems is detrimental to the process efficiency as it acts to thermally insulate the cast from the water-cooled mould. By tapering the mould wall, the thermal contraction of the cooling cast can be accommodated so that the thickness of the air gap is decreased. We consider a coupled thermomechanical model to investigate the effect of mould tapering on the formation and thickness of the air gap in an axisymmetric mould. Using asymptotic techniques, the model is reduced to allow analytic and inexpensive numerical investigations while maintaining the essential characteristics of the thermomechanical process. This work improves on previous models by including superheat, where the incoming molten metal is at a higher temperature than its melting point. The degree of superheating also affects the formation and thickness of the air gap and presents a viable alternative for control of the system. The efficacy of mould tapering in the presence of superheat is examined.