Magnetic‐Flow‐Thermal Characteristics of An Innovative Four‐Channel Induction Heating Tundish

Based on the coupled magnetic‐flow‐thermal model, the electromagnetic, fluid flow, and heat transfer characteristics of the conventional dual‐channel and the newly designed four‐channel tundish are numerically simulated and analyzed under induction heating (IH) with the ampere‐turn (AT) numbers of 0, 3.66 × 10 4 and 4.76 × 10 4 . The results indicate that the impinging velocity of molten steel on the wall of the four‐channel tundish is lower than that of the dual‐channel regardless of whether the induction heating is turned on or not. Meanwhile, the four‐channel tundish can supply excellent consistency of flow and temperature for each strand under the given heating parameters of 0, 3.66 × 10 4 , and 4.76 × 10 4 AT. Under the condition of 4.76 × 10 4 AT, the standard deviation of average residence time is only 18 s, and the maximum temperature difference of each strand is only 0.1 K after 2400 s for IH. Additionally, to provide the same temperature rising rate for the molten steel in the tundish, the AT number of 4.76 × 10 4 is required for the dual‐channel structure while 3.66 × 10 4 for the four‐channel one. It means that the four‐channel tundish not only significantly improves the consistency of each strand, but also increases the electric–thermal energy conversion efficiency.