Mechanism of vortex formation in teeming ladle during continuous casting process

Cleanness of molten steel in tundish was closely related to the slag entrapment by vortex at end of ladle teeming process. The formation mechanism of the vortex was investigated in order to develop effective measurement to prevent its negative effect. Based on the similarity criteria, series water modeling experiments, with scale of 1∶6, were carried out to investigate the formation and evolution mechanisms of vortex in ladle during teeming process. The effects of initial level of fluid in ladle, exit diameter and location, exit structure on formation mechanism of the vortex were studied. The results show that, under the present experimental conditions, the vortex formation has no relationship with the initial level of fluid in ladle, nevertheless, the exit diameter and location play an important role in vortex evolution. The critical height of vortex formation decreases with decreasing exit diameter and increasing exit eccentricity, and the best value of exit eccentricity is 3/4. A new exit structure is developed which dramatically delays the formation of vortex at the end of teeming process by 50%.