A fully coupled fluid flow, heat transport model was developed to analyze turbulent flow, solidification in twin-roll casting stainless strip process. Transport equations of the total mass, momentum, energy for the system were solved using a continuum model, wherein the equations are valid for the solid, liquid, and mushy zones in the casting process. A new version of the low-Reynolds number k- model was adopted to incorporate turbulent effects on transport processes in the system. A control-volume- based finite element method was employed to solve the conservation equations associated with appropriate boundary conditions. Because of the high nonlinearity of the equations, a number of techniques were used to accelerate the convergence processes. The effects of the factors such as roll-casting speed, steel grade, nozzle configuration on the flow pattern, solidification profile, heat flux changing between the sump and the roll and the temperature of the strip face were calculated. Some of the calculated results were compared with available experimental measurements, and they are in reasonable agreements. The effect of the factors such as casting temperature, casting speed on as-cast structures of the stainless strips were also analyzed by some metallographic photos. Some important parameters were obtained.
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