Our Mission

Primary Objective

The Consortium aims to develop comprehensive mathematical models of the continuous casting of steel and related processes, and apply them to enhance understanding, optimize operations, and address sponsor concerns.

Mathematical Modeling Capabilities

Over the past decade, researchers have created an integrated system simulating multiple aspects of steel slab casting, including:

• Turbulent flow through submerged bifurcated nozzles
• Mold fluid dynamics with multiphase effects from argon injection
• Mass transfer during grade transitions
• Heat transfer through mold powder layers
• Thermal behavior at mold/steel interfaces
• Copper mold distortion and cracking analysis
• Solidification, shrinkage, stress development, and hot tear cracking in steel shells

Validation and Development

The models have been verified against physical water models and plant measurements, successfully reproducing known phenomena while generating new predictions. The work includes advancing numerical methods for solving complex computational problems.

Practical Applications

Steel companies utilize streamlined versions of these models for:

• Submerged entry nozzle design optimization
• Mold taper adjustments during width changes and high-speed casting
• Minimizing slab degradation during grade transitions
• Argon injection optimization
• Process parameter analysis
• Defect mechanism understanding (breakouts, surface cracks, inclusion entrapment, nozzle clogging)

These tools strengthen industry competitiveness by improving operational efficiency.