MACHINE AND METHOD OF CONTINUOUSLY CASTING A METAL STRIP

Abstract: In a continuous casting machine for casting a steel strip, the liquid steel is fed onto a cooled endless belt (11) through a tundish (13) and a tube-formed rotatable distributor (15). The distributor has a row of side outlets (20) from which streams of liquid steel fills a pool (24) of liquid steel against the steel belt (11). The liquid steel flows from the pool through a clearance (25) against the steel belt. A control system operates to maintain the level of liquid steel constant in the distributor and to turn the distributor in response to the actual thickness of the cast steel strip.

Description: MACHINE AND METHOD OF CONTINUOUSLY CASTING A METAL STRIP This invention relates to a machine for casting metal strips, compring a cooled and moved substrate, for example an endless belt and a feeding device that comprises a tundish and a distributor for distributing the liquid metal over the substrate. The invention relates also to a method of casting a metal strip by supplying liquid metal to a cooled and moving substrate on which the metal solidifies. Most prior art machines of this kind are made to produce comparatively narrow strips. The wider the strip and the faster the casting, the more difficult the feeding of the liquid metal to the substrate will be because of the larger flow necessary. The invention provides for an improved feeding of the liquid metal to the substrate and it will permit for a fast casting of the strip also when the strip is wide. The feeding is reliable and its control is fast. The starting of the casting will be fast and reliable. The invention has been given the characteristics stated in the claims. The invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 is a fragmentary and schematic perspective view of a casting machine according to the invention. Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary section taken along the line 2-2 in Fig 1. Figure 3 is a fragmentary end view of a distributor which is modified with respect to a distributor shown in Figures 1 and 2. In Figures 1 and 2, parts of a strip casting machine is shown which is in accordance with the invention. It has a power driven substrate in the fo r» n of a horizontal or substantially horizontal e ss steel belt 11 , that runs, on two rollers that are not shown. The belt neeti not be completely horizontal, it can be somewhat inclined, in particular, it can be inclined such that it runs somewhat upwardly in the direction of casting. The steel belt 11 is water cooled at its back by means of closely arranged nozzles 12 that spray water on the band 11. Only two of the numerous nozzles 12 are indi¬ cated. A feeding device consists of a tundish 13, a supply pipe 14 for supp¬ lying liquid steel to the tundish 13, a tubular distributor 15 with a stopper 16 and a hood 17 supplied with a protective gas, for example an inert gas such as argon. Between the tundish 13 and the distributor 15, there is a coupling 18 that permits turning of the distributor about the longitudinal axis I of the distributor 15. The coupling 18 is made of the same material as conventional sliding gate valves of ladles. A turning device in the form of a hydraulic cylinder 19 is arranged to turn the distributor relative to the tun¬ dish 13. Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse section taken along line 2-2 in Figure 1 and it shows the steel belt 11 , the distributor tube 15, the hood 17 and the tundish 13. The ceramic distributor tube 15 has a side outlet 20 that extends over the entire width of the steel belt 11. The side outlet 20 con¬ sists of a large number of discrete openings, but it could also be a single slot. The flow velocity in the longitudinal direction of the distributor tube 15 should not be too high since it could then disturb the flow through the out¬ let. The distance between the openings 20 and/or the diameter of the holes can be adapted to- give an evenly distributed outlet flow along the distributor tube 15, that is along the width of the steel belt 11. The interior cross sec¬ tional area of the distributor pipe 15 should be 3 times, preferably 5 times, as great as the total area of the outlet holes 20. The openings 20 could preferably be conically narrower towards their outlet end in order to provide for a more stable stream. The distributor tube 15 is joumaled against the ceramic hood 17 and against a fixed ceramic sealing element 21. A pool 24 of liquid steel is formed between the ceramic hood 17 and the ceramic sealing element 21. The liquid steel flows through the protective argon gas into the pool 24. The hood 17 has a clearance 25 to the steel belt 11 through which the liquid steel flows and forms a thin layer 26 on the belt 11. Since the underside of the endless steel belt is heavily cooled, the solidification begins already in the pool 24. A lubricant, that can be a conventional casting powder with low melting point, is supplied behind the sealing element 21 and fills the clearance between the sealing element 21 and the steel belt 11 in order to prevent air from being sucked through the clearance. The thickness of the clearance and the casting powder is exaggerated in the Figure and have been given the common reference 27. The casting machine is only schematically shown and necessary edges along the sides of the steel belt 11 are not shown. They may be in the form of chains, wires or ropes that moves with the steel belt. The thickness of the cast strip 26 is monitored by a sensor 28, the output signal of which controls, via an automatic control equipment, the hydraulic cylinder 19 that turns the distributor 15. The level 29 of the liquid steel in the distributor and in the tundish is the same and it is maintained constant by means of a conventional level control equipment and the tolerance is conventionally one or a few millimeters. The hydrostatic height 40 that drives the flow out of the outlets 20 of the distributor centre is varied by the turning of the distributor 15, and a change of this flow will change the height of the pool 24 which is the hydrostatic height 41 that drives the flow out of the clearance 25 between the hood 17 and the steel belt 11. Thus, simply by automatically controlling the turning of the distributor 15 in response to the actual thickness of the cast steel strip 26 one can control the thickness of the cast steel strip 26 provided that the other parameters such as the level in the tundish 13, the width of the clearance 25, and the velocity of the steel belt 11 are maintained constant. The height of the pool 24 can for example be 40 - 60 mm and the height of the clearance 25 can be 5 - 7 mm. The described feeding device is simple and its cost of investment is low. Since the consumable parts are small, the operation cost will also be low. The automatic control during operation will be rapidly responding, accurate and reliable, and it will be so also when the production is high. Before starting the casting, the operator preheats the tundish 14 and the distributor 15 with a burner. The stopper 16 is then removed as shown in Figure 1. By having liquid steel flowing through the distributor to a vessel 30, the operator carries out the final preheating of the distributor. During the preheating the distributor is turned so that its outlet 20 is directed up¬ wardly, that is, it is above the level of the flowing liquid steel in the distribu¬ tor 15. When the distributor 15 has been preheated, its open end is closed by the stopper 16 and when the distributor is then turned so that its outlet 20 is below the level of the liquid steel in the distributor, the casting starts. The starting is fast and a steady state is reached very quickly. In the embodiment described above with reference to Figures 1 and 2, the tundish 13, the hood 17 and the sealing element 21 are fixed and only the distributor 15 is tumable. In Figure 3, a modified embodiment is shown in a view seen from the end of the distributor 15. There. is no stopper 16, but there is a fixed end wall 50 of the distributor 15. The end wall 50 has an opening 51. The interior wall 52 of the ceramic lining of the tundish is semi circular in cross section and its axis is common to the axis of the tubular distributor 15 which is also circular in cross section. The walls 53 of the upper part of the tundish are parallel!. The interior wall of the tubular cera¬ mic lining of the distributor 15 has been given reference 54. There is no coupling 18, but the tundish 13 and the distributor 15 are fixed together and are tumable as a unit. For the final preheating of the distributor 15, the distributor 15 and tundish 13 are turned so that the liquid steel will pass through the opening 51 , while the side openings 20 will be above the level of the liquid steel in the distributor. Then, when the distributor 15 and tun¬ dish 13 are turned so that the opening 51 will be above the level of liquid steel and the row of side openings 20 will be below the level of liquid steel, the contiuous casting will begin. Since the bottom of the tundish is semi circular, the level of liquid steel will not change because of the turning. The wide opening of the tundish 13 permits for about 45° turning even though the pipe 14 is fixed. Such an angle of turning will suffice both for the pre¬ heating and for the control during casting since the level of liquid steel can be maintained at or below the center of the distributor 15. In Figure 3, a fitting 55 is shown on the distributor 15 for a laser sensor for sensing the level of the liquid steel directly in the distributor 15. The laser sensor is part of a conventioned level control equipment for maintaining the level constant in the tundish 13 and distributor 15. The outlets 20 are shown radially directed in Figure 2 but are shown somewhat upwardly directed with respect to a radius in Figure 2. The up¬ ward direction is advantageous since it makes it possible to have a lower hydraulic height that drives the outlet flow through the outlets 20. The casting machine described is primarily intended for casting a steel strip with a width of up to 2 m and a thickness of up to 10 mm. It can, however, be designed for other methods and other strip sizes.

Claims: CLAIMS 1. A machine for the continuous casting of a metal strip, comprising a cooled and moved substrate, for example an endless belt (11), and a fee¬ ding device that comprises a tundish (13) and a distributor (15) for distribu¬ ting the liquid metal over the substrate, characterized in that the distributor (15) is substantially tube- formed and arranged transverse to the substrate (11) and has a side outlet that extends along the distributor 20). 2. A machine according to claim 1, characterized in that the feeding device comprises means (18, 19, 28) for varying the hydrostatic height of the liquid metal above the side outlet (20). 3. A machine according to claim 2, characterized in that said means for varying the hydrostatic height of the liquid metal above the side outlet (20) comprises a means (18, 29, 28) for rotating the distributor (15) 4. A machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by walls (17, 21 ) that defines a pool 24) that is formed by the liquid metal flowing out of the side outlet (20), said walls (17, 21) having a clearance to the substrate that forms an outlet slot (25), the height of the pool being several times the width of the slot (25). 5. A machine according to any one of the preceding claims, charaterized in that the interior cross section area of the distributor (15) is at least three times, preferably at least five times as great as the area of the side outlet (20). 6. A machine according to claim 3, characterized in that the side outlet (20) comprises a number of discrete outlet holes (20). 7. A machine according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that during casting the distributor (15) is only partly filled with liquid metal. 8. A machine according to claim 7, characterized by means for sensing the level of liquid metal directly in the distributor (15). 9. A method of continuously casting a metal strip by supplying liquid metal to a cooled and moving substrate, for example an endless belt (11) on which the metal solidifies, characterized in that the liquid metal is distributed through a side outlet (20) of a distributor (15) that is substantially tubular and extends transversely to the substrate (11), and that before the starting of the casing, the distributor (15) is preheated by liquid steel flowing through it while not reaching the level of the side outlet (20). 10. A method according to claim 9, characterized in that the casting is started by the turning of the distributor such that its side outlet (20) will be below the level of the liquid metal. 11. A method according to claim 10, characterized in that the casting is started and the preheating is ended by the turning of the distributor 20) such that an outlet at the end of the distributor (15) will be raised from the liquid metal and the side outlet (20) will be lowered into the liquid metal. 12. A method according to any one of the claims 9-11 , characterized in that the flow out of the side outlet (20) is controlled by the turning of the distributor (15). 13. A method according to any one of the claims 9-12, characterized in that the liquid metal flowing out of the side outlet (15) forms a pool (24) against the substrate (11) and the liquid metal passes the bottom of the pool through a clearance (25) formed against the substrate while the pool is maintained several time as high as the clearance.

Inventors: JOHANSSON LARS GUNNAR, NYSTROEM RALPH, JOHANSSON, LARS, GUNNAR, NYSTROEM, RALPH
Applicants: STIFTELSEN METALLURG FORSK, MEFOS, STIFTELSEN FOER METALLURGISK FORSKNING
Application year: 1992
Main classification: B22D11
IPC codes: B22D11