A control method and apparatus for continuous casting steel pouring are provided, wherein the amount of the molten steel flow of the ladle is controlled, thereby improving the yield of the molten steel and decreasing the production cost.

There is provided a method of continuous casting two or more long products using a single continuous twin casting strand (CCM) comprising two sub-strands. The process control of the method is automatic and comprises master/slave logic. wherein one sub-strand of the twin casting strand is a master sub-strand and remaining sub-strand(s) are slave sub-strand(s). The master strand has non-controlled metal flow and liquid metal level in the master sub-strand is regulated by adjusting casting speed. The liquid metal level in said slave strand(s) is regulated by adjusting the liquid metal pouring rate.

Apparatus and methods for casting a metal strip with a cross sectional form which varies along the length of the strip. One embodiment of the apparatus includes opposing cooling systems, a positionable molten metal feed system between the opposing cooling systems, and a form adjustment system. The form adjustment system may include at least one dam to determine, at least in part, the cross sectional form of a molten metal feed to the opposing cooling systems. In this way, it is possible to determine the cross sectional form of the solidified metal strip. The dam is moveable during operation of the apparatus to vary the cross sectional form of the molten metal feed to the opposing cooling systems.

Automated processes and systems dynamically control the delivery rate of molten metal to a mold during a casting process. Such automated processes and systems can include automatically controlling a flow control device (such as a control pin) during a first phase of casting to modulate molten metal flow or flow rate, moving the flow control device in a transition time between the first phase and a second phase toward a substitute flow control device position determined based on a difference between a first projected flow rate of the first phase and a second projected flow rate of the second phase, and resuming automatic control of the flow control device during the second phase based on the detected metal level and the metal level setpoint. Overshoot and/or undershoot can additionally or alternatively be mitigated by translating the mold or altering the cast speed.

A molten metal level measuring device in a continuous molten metal level measuring device uses temperature compensation. The device includes a cylindrical bobbin, a liquid level measuring unit helically wound around an outer surface of the bobbin, a circular inner cylinder in which the bobbin and the liquid level measuring part are located and which seals the bobbin and the liquid level measuring part from the outside and has the same axial direction as the bobbin, and a cylindrical protective tube in which the inner cylinder is located and which has the same axial direction as the bobbin and has one open end. Thermocouples extend axially in the space between the inner cylinder and the protective tube, and a control unit controls the liquid level measuring part to measure a liquid level of the molten metal based on the temperatures measured by the thermocouples.

Plant (10) for the continuous casting of metal products comprising a mould (12) in which a metal (L) in the molten state is able to be poured with a determinate flow rate (Q), a regulation device (16) capable of regulating said flow rate (Q), a control unit (18) configured to manage at least the movements of said regulation device (16), and at least one detection device (19) capable of detecting every punctual variation of the level (14) of metal (L) in said mould (12) with respect to a nominal value thereof and generating a corresponding variation signal (SV) and sending it said control unit (18), which is capable of generating a command signal (RS) for said regulation device (16) in order to cause a desired variation of the flow rate (Q). The present invention also concerns the regulation method for generating the above command signal (RS).

A continuous casting apparatus and method is disclosed for casting a metal strip with a cross sectional form which varies along the length of the strip. The apparatus comprises: opposing cooling means; a molten metal feed system positionable to provide a molten metal feed for solidification between the opposing cooling means to form a solidified metal strip along a length direction; and a form adjustment system. The form adjustment system comprises at least one dam to determine, at least in part, the cross sectional form of the molten metal feed to the opposing cooling means. In this way, it is possible to determine the cross sectional form of the solidified metal strip. The dam is moveable during operation of the apparatus to vary the cross sectional form of the molten metal feed to the opposing cooling means. The apparatus further comprises a molten metal pressure control system, operable to control the pressure of the molten metal in the molten metal feed during operation of the apparatus in coordination with movement of the dam. Optionally, the dam acts as a diverter, operational to divert the flow of molten metal to form an opening in the cast strip.

Plant (10) for the continuous casting of metal products comprising a mould (12) in which a metal (L) in the molten state is able to be poured with a determinate flow rate (Q), a regulation device (16) capable of regulating said flow rate (Q), a control unit (18) configured to manage at least the movements of said regulation device (16), and at least one detection device (19) capable of detecting every punctual variation of the level (14) of metal (L) in said mould (12) with respect to a nominal value thereof and generating a corresponding variation signal (SV) and sending it said control unit (18), which is capable of generating a command signal (RS) for said regulation device (16) in order to cause a desired variation of the flow rate (Q). The present invention also concerns the regulation method for generating the above command signal (RS).

A method of molten metal continuous casting utilizing an impact pad having a non-wavy spherical top in the tundish that is impacted by the stream of molten metal entering into the tundish wherein the flow of molten metal within the tundish is optimized to improve flow patterns, reduce dead zone areas, prevent splashing while filling the empty tundish, and eliminating the open red eye forming in the molten metal surface layer.

A stopper (1) is provided that includes ridges (12) in contact with the slag in a tundish (60). Each ridge (12) has a radial extension (21) that is less than half a radius (20) of the stopper (1) measured at the ridge (12). The ridges (12) decrease the creation of vortices by the stopper (1) and increase thus its lifetime. The ridges (12) are disposed in quincunx along the lateral wall (10).