Tapping of molten steel

Let us design a 0.2- scale physical model to simulate the fluid flow behavior for tapping of steel in the ladle. Molten steel is plunged from a height of 4.5m. Molten steel enters at  velocity 12m/s velocity. The volume flow rate is . The time required to fill the ladle of volume  is 6 minutes. Viscosity of steel   and density is

Diameter of the model ladle  

Volume

Volumetric flow rate

In the physical model, water will be used to simulate the steel. We have to find velocity of the water in the model to perform experiments. Dynamic similarity is required.

 

 

A very large value of Reynold’s number in the prototype indicates that flow of steel melt is dominated by the inertial forces rather than viscous forces. Inertial force is also embedded in the Froude number hence Froude number similarity will be sufficient to find velocity of water in the model.

 

 

The time of tapping in the model can be derived from

 

 

minutes
 

Gas stirred ladle

Design a physical model of an industrial gas stirred ladle with an elliptical shape. Internal diameter of the ladle is 2.282m maximum and 2.082m minimum. Molten steel height is 2.46m and volume is Gas is injected at  through the porous plug fitted at the bottom of the ladle. The scale of the physical model should be . Bath temperature is .

The equations given in lecture 38 could be used to design the model. This is for your exercise.