Water-model Experiment on Melting Powder Trapping by Vortex in the Continuous Casting Mold

Water-model experiments have been carried out to understand the behavior of mold powder trapping phenomena by vortex in continuous casting mold. The following findings are obtained. (1) Mold powder trapping by the vortex occurs irregularly near the immersion nozzle. It occurs only in the wake of the immersion nozzle. (2) As for the occurrence frequency ratio of the vortex, the maximum value appears in the water flow rate regime ranging from 61.4 to 70.2 L/min. This regime is supposed to have a lose relationship with water flow velocity change near the immersion nozzle. (3) An empirical equation is proposed for the length of the molten mold powder entrapped by the vortex.