Assessment of heat extraction through slab caster mould

Mould heat transfer in continuous casting has profound influence on caster operation and product quality. The average heat flux through the mould wall can be calculated from the mould water flow and the rise in temperature of the cooling water. However, the local heat flux in the mould wall gives a better understanding of the heat transfer in mould vis‐à‐vis the operating parameters. In the present investigation, all the 4 sides of a slab mould are instrumented with thermocouples in order to determine the axial temperature profiles under wide range of casting conditions. A heat flow model of the mould wall has been developed to compute the local heat flux and the hot face temperature of the mould from the measured mould temperature data. The local heat flux in the mould is correlated with the operating variables of the caster.