Title: Simulation of slab movement and transient heating in a continuous steel reheat furnace

Authors: Yongxiang Yang, Jeffrey Kroeze, Markus A. Reuter

Addresses: Department of Applied Earth Sciences, Delft University of Technology, Mijnbouwstraat 120, 2628 RX Delft, The Netherlands. ' Department of Applied Earth Sciences, Delft University of Technology, Mijnbouwstraat 120, 2628 RX Delft, The Netherlands. ' Department of Applied Earth Sciences, Delft University of Technology, Mijnbouwstraat 120, 2628 RX Delft, The Netherlands '

Abstract: This paper describes the simulation of transient heating of steel slabs in an industrial-scale continuous reheat furnace. To obtain a reliable slab temperature distribution, the gas flow and heat transfer were simulated with low-Reynolds-number turbulence models in combination with higher-order convection schemes and a radiation model. The transient heating of slabs was simulated with a moving slab technique, which allows the individual slabs to be heated up while moving along the furnace. Not only the individual slab movement and its temperature evolution can be tracked (Langrangian frame of reference), but the temperature distribution for all the slabs passing through the furnace can be monitored as well (Eulerian frame of reference). The developed model could simulate both the furnace start-up and steady-state operation. The simulation confirmed that both temperature profiles (Langrangian and Eulerian frames of reference) coincide in the pseudo-steady state operation. With the developed model, various issues from operation can be investigated in the future, such as skid mark effect and feeding capacity variations.

Keywords: steel reheat furnace; transient heating; slab movement; conjugate heat transfer; low-Reynolds-number turbulence models; radiation model; Eulerian and Langrangian frame of reference.

DOI: 10.1504/PCFD.2004.003785

Progress in Computational Fluid Dynamics, An International Journal, 2004 Vol.4 No.1, pp.46 - 58

Published online: 24 Dec 2003 *

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