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Contenido archivado el 2022-11-21

TEMPERATURE CONTROL OF CONTINUOUS CASTING BY MEANS OF PLASMA BURNERS.

Objetivo

THE MAIN OBJECTIVE IS TO ESTABLISH TO WHAT EXTENT A PLASMA ARC FROM A SUITABLE TORCH CAN BE USED TO CONTROL THE TEMPERATURE OF STEEL IN THE TUNDISH DURING CONTINUOUS CASTING ON AN INDUSTRIAL SCALE.

THIS INVOLVES BRINGING HEAT TO THE STEEL AT GIVEN STAGES IN THE CASTING SO THAT A CONSTANT TEMPERATURE CAN BE MAINTAINED AND CASTING CAN TAKE PLACE WITH ONLY A SMALL DEGREE OF SUPERHEATING. AS A RESULT THE COLUMNAR STRUCTURE OF THE SOLIDIFIED PRODUCT WILL BE REDUCED AND THE SEGREGATION PHENOMENON, WHICH CAUSES INCONSISTENT MECHANICAL PROPERTIES, WILL BE LIMITED.
THE HEAT SOURCE IS A TRANSFERRED-ARC PLASMA TORCH, WHICH ALSO PERMITS METALLURGICAL PROCESSING OF THE STEEL (DESULPHURIZING, ALLOYING, ETC.) THROUGH THE ADDITION OF POWDERS (DIRECTLY THROUGH THE PLASMA JET) OR CORED WIRES IN THE STEEL.

THE PROJECT WILL BE CARRIED OUT, PREFERABLY, AT THE DELTASIDER STEELWORKS, AOSTA, WHICH HAS A THREE-LINE CONTINUOUS-CASTING PLANT FOR THE PRODUCTION OF BLOOMS.
ONE OR TWO TORCHES OF THE TYPE DESCRIBED ABOVE WILL BE USED, THE OVERALL CAPACITY BEING 2-3 MW WITH IMAX = 5000 A PER TORCH. ARGON, HYDROGEN AND THEIR MIXTURES WILL SERVE AS PLASMA.
A SINGLE TORCH COULD BE PLACED EITHER IN THE PIT OR IN A SPECIAL REACTOR SET BETWEEN THE PIT AND THE TUNDISH TO ENABLE THREE LINES TO BE HEATED SIMULTANEOUSLY. IF THERE ARE TWO TORCHES, THEY CAN EACH BE PLACED BETWEEN THE CENTRAL LINE AND ONE OF THE SIDE LINES.
CURRENT RETURN, WHICH IS NECESSARY WHEN USING A TRANSFERRED-ARC TORCH, IS EFFECTED BY USING THE LIQUID STEEL AS A CONDUCTOR AS IT PASSES FROM THE TUNDISH TO THE INGOT MOULD WHENCE THE CURRENT IS EXTRACTED IN ZONES WHERE THERE IS A GOOD CONTACT BETWEEN THE FORMING BLOOM AND THE INTERNAL WALL OF THE MOULD.
THIS DOES NOT, HOWEVER, RULE OUT THE POSSIBLITY OF OTHER SOLUTIONS, SUCH AS USING AN ELECTRODE IMMERSED IN THE STEEL IN THE TUNDISH OR GUIDE SHOES IN CONTACT WITH THE BLOOM.
LASTLY, IT IS PLANNED TO CONSTRUCT AND OPERATE A UNIT FOR HEATING STEEL IN THE TUNDISH IN ORDER TO EXPERIMENT ON STEEL TEMPERATURE CONTROL AND, AT A LATER STAGE, ITS METALLURGICAL PROCESSING.
IN ORDER TO MAKE FULLER USE OF THE HEATING TORCH IT SEEMS ESSENTIAL TO EXTEND THE EXPERIMENT BY SITTING THE TORCH IN BOTH LADLE AND TUNDISH. THIS SHOULD BE DONE BECAUSE IT IS DIFFICULT AT PRESENT TO PINPOINT THE ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF EACH SOLUTION.
IT IS ALSO PLANNED TO DEVELOP A THERMAL MODEL IN ORDER TO REGULATE TORCH POWER WITH A VIEW TO KEEPING THE TEMPERATURE OF THE STEEL BATH CONSTANT.

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Coordinador

MATERIALS RESEARCH CENTRE
Aportación de la UE
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Dirección
Via di Castel Romano 100/102
00128 ROMA
Italia

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