Title: Fluid flow modelling in a 55% Al-Zn coating metal pot

Authors: David J. Willis, Florin Ilinca, Frank Ajersch, Nega Setargew

Addresses: BlueScope Steel Research Laboratory, P.O. Box 202, Port Kembla, NSW 2505, Australia. ' Industrial Materials Institute, National Research Council, 75 de Mortagne, Boucherville, Quebec, J4B 6Y4, Canada. ' Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, Montreal, Quebec, H3C 3A7, Canada. ' BlueScope Steel Research Laboratory, P.O. Box 202, Port Kembla, NSW 2505, Australia

Abstract: Numerical simulations were carried out using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) to model fluid flow and temperature distribution in two channel inductor pots used for manufacturing 55% Al-Zn coated steel at BlueScope Steel|s metal coating lines, some of which suffer from excessive bottom dross formation. The software used for this work was developed by the Industrial Materials Institute (IMI) of the National Research Council of Canada (IMI-NRC) and included κ-ε turbulence modelling for fluid flow and heat transfer. The model included detailed pot geometry, immersed hardware and the traversing steel strip. Fluid flow arising from the moving strip in the molten bath was also modelled and the simulations included particle tracking. Numerical solutions are presented for two pots: one with excessive bottom dross build-up and one without. Differences in fluid flow and temperature distributions between the two pots, which are likely to contribute to different propensities to bottom dross formation, are compared and discussed.

Keywords: galvanising bath; 55% Al-Zn; 3D simulation; finite elements; dross formation; intermetallic particles; metal coating line; computational fluid dynamics; CFD; fluid flow modelling; temperature distribution; coated steel manufacturing; turbulence modelling; heat transfer; metal coating; particle tracking.

DOI: 10.1504/PCFD.2007.013011

Progress in Computational Fluid Dynamics, An International Journal, 2007 Vol.7 No.2/3/4, pp.183 - 194

Published online: 03 Apr 2007 *

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