Ladle thermal model used to reduce tap temperatures

摘要

A quasi three-dimensional, transient, ladle thermal model was developed to simulate the thermal content of a steel ladle as it goes through a complete cycle. The model results were used to determine potential savings and increase in productivity from reducing tap temperatures at a steel plant. Results demonstrated that accelerating key stages in the ladle cycle contributed more to tap temperature reduction than using a different refractory brick or a lid. The model can assist in optimizing ladle cycles, investigating new refractory designs, and determining the effect of adding insulating lids. The automatic graphing function of the model allows easy comparison of results when the effects of cycle parameters are being evaluated. This paper presents the development, validation and application of the model.