Estimating Non-Linear Heat Flux in Continuous Billet Casting Process With Limited Sensors

Abstract

In a continuous billet caster, the heat transfer from the pool of molten steel to the cooling water via the copper mold depends non-linearly upon several casting parameters. A reliable and accurate methodology based on the principle of inverse heat transfer technique has been proposed in this work to obtain the nonlinear heat flux of a continuous billet casting mold. Differential evolution optimization technique has been used, in conjunction with the 2-D and 3-D steady state conduction heat transfer equations to develop the complete algorithm. It has been observed that both the 2-D and 3-D models are able to accurately predict the heat flux for different numbers and locations of temperature sensors. While the 2-D model estimates the 1-D heat flux profile varying along casting direction within a very short time period, the 3-D model offers the advantage of estimating a more accurate 2-D heat flux profile varying along both the mold length and width. The 2-D model has also been used to estimate the heat flux for an industrial continuous casting mold using measured plant data. It is observed that the present methodology accurately estimates the boundary heat flux in the continuous billet caster mold.

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Additional information

Notes on contributors

Abhigyan Prakash

Abhigyan Prakash obtained his bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from the Birla Institute of Technology Mesra, Ranchi, India. He is currently employed in a private technical firm.

Punit Singh

Punit Singh is an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the GLA University, Mathura, India. He obtained the doctoral degree from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, India. He works in the field of convective food drying, battery thermal management, and heat pipe. He has published 20 international journal papers.

Pedduri Jayakrishna

Pedduri Jayakrishna is a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, Mumbai, India. He obtained the doctoral degree from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, India. He works in the field of thermo-mechanical modeling of continuous casting operations, and thermal modeling of nuclear reactors. He has published 6 international journal papers.

Ananda S. Vaka

Ananda S. Vaka is working as a Senior Faculty Member and Deputy General Manager at Power Management Institute, NTPC Ltd, Noida, India. He obtained his doctoral degree from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, India. He works in the field of inverse methodologies, renewable energy, immersive technologies, and combined cycle power plant technologies. He has published 4 international journal papers.

Prabal Talukdar

Prabal Talukdar is a professor in the department of mechanical engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, India. He has also worked with the Institute of Fluid Mechanics, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany, and the University of Saskatchewan, Canada. His research areas are thermo-mechanical modeling of continuous casting process, and heat-mass transfer in porous media. He has authored more than 100 international journal papers.

Suvankar Ganguly

Suvankar Ganguly is a principal scientist in Research & Development Division, Tata Steel Ltd, Jamshedpur, India. He received his PhD from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India. He works in the field of heat transfer and fluid flow in manufacturing and materials processing, industrial process modeling, and microfluidics-nanofluidics. He has authored more than 50 international journal papers.

Saurav Chakraborty

Saurav Chakraborty is an assistant professor in the department of mechanical engineering at the Birla Institute of Technology Mesra, Ranchi, India. He obtained the doctoral degree from the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, India. He works in the field of thermo-mechanical modeling of continuous casting operations, and convective drying. He has authored more than 10 international journal papers.