Continuous Casting: R&D Trends
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Courtesy of the Gas Research Institute |
Equipment
Combustion Technology
Energy Consumption
Process Description
R&D Trends
Considerable development work is focused on thin slab casting/compact strip mill techniques to improve product quality, produce thinner slabs, and to roll thinner sheet and strip while minimizing the number of rolling stands and optimizing integration of casting and rolling to minimize reheating requirements.
Plasma heating of Tundishes
Arc plasma torches are being evaluated in two Japanese steel mills. At Nippon Steel, Hirohata Works a 1 MW Tetronics transferred arc plasma torch was installed on a 28 ton tundish. Temperature control was much better and temperature drop much less. Kobe Steel has installed a 2.4 MW single phase, two torch, AC plasma unit on an 88 ton single strand caster tundish allowing temperature to be kept almost constant and reducing the required heat of the pour by 30°F.
Oxyfuel Burner for Nozzle Preheating
Praxair is developing an oxyfuel burner for the nozzle preheating application. No details have been published.
Steel Mill Process Heating Technology Study, Hatch Associates, GRI-95/0106, Gas Research Institute.