CON2D: Coupled Thermal Stress Model of Continuous Casting

C. Li, A. Moitra, Hong Zhu and Brian Thomas

Continuous Casting Consortium

A coupled, two-dimensional, transient finite-element model has been developed to predict temperature, shrinkage, and stress development in both horizontal and vertical sections through the solidifying shell as it moves down through the caster. The model includes the effects of the volume change during phase transformation, ferrostatic pressure, the generalized plane strain stress state, the constraining influence of the mold, creep plasticity, and the dynamic effect of solidification shrinkage on heat transfer across the interfacial gap between the mold and the shell. The effects of superheat dissipation from fluid flow and mold distortion are incorporated from other models. This powerful modeling tool has been applied to simulate and understand the formation of various crack defects, including those forming due to non-uniform heat transfer during the early stages of solidification.

Publications:

Li, C., and B.G. Thomas, "Thermo-Mechanical Finite-Element Model of Shell Behavior in Continuous Casting of Steel", Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B, Vol. 35B, No. 6, Dec., 2004, pp. 1151-1172. Click for a PDF version. (1.1 MB)

Moitra, A., and B.G. Thomas, "Application of a Thermo-Mechanical Finite Element Model of Steel Shell Behavior in the Continuous Slab Casting Mold", 76th Steelmaking Conference, Dallas, TX, March 28-31, 1993, Iron and Steel Society, Warrendale, PA, Vol. 76, 1993, pp.657-667.

Thomas, B.G. and H. Zhu, "Evaluation of Finite Element Methods for Simulation of Stresses During Solidification", World Conference on Computational Mechanics III, Chiba, Japan, August 2-5, Vol. 2, No. N13-4, 1994, pp. 1764-1765.

Thomas, B.G., A. Moitra, and H. Zhu, "Coupled thermo-mechanical model of solidifying steel shell applied to depression defects in continuous-cast slabs", Modeling of Casting, Welding, and Advanced Solidification Processes VII, London, England, September 10-15, 1995, pp. 241-248.

Avijit Moitra, "Thermo-mechanical Model of Steel Shell Behavior in Continuous Slab Casting", PhD. Thesis, University of Illinois, 1993.

Hong Zhu, "Coupled Thermal-Mechanical Finite Element Model with Application to Initial Solidification", PhD. Thesis, University of Illinois, 1996.

Chunsheng Li, "Thermal-Mechanical Model of Solidifying Steel Shell Behavior and its Applications in High Speed Continuous Casting of Billets", PhD Thesis, University of Illinois, 2005.