Abstract A method of and apparatus for controlling the cooling of a continuously cast strand of metal at individual cooling zone sections after departing from a continuous casting mold. According to the invention, during casting there is integrated the speed of the individual strand sections over the travel time and there is simultaneously fixed the time spent by a strand section in the cooling zone to determine by means of a computer the amount of cooling agent applied to the individual strand sections. Such value is compared with reference quantities and there is determined the residual amount of cooling agent which is still to be applied to such strand section. As a function of such residual amount of cooling agent after a time-displacement determined by the computer there is selectively changed the length of the individual cooling zone sections, the total length of the cooling zone, or both the length of the individual cooling zone sections and the total length of the cooling zone, to thus maintain constant the residence time of the individual strand sections in the total cooling zone.
A method for controlling the cooling of a continuously cast strand of metal at individual cooling zone sections after departing from a continuous casting mold, wherein the quantities of cooling agent impinging against the surface of the strand of the cooling zone sections are adjustable, and at the beginning of a casting operation there is determined by a computer reference values of such quantities of cooling agent as a function of the chemical composition of the strand material, the strand crosssection and the desired casting speed, and during casting depending upon the travel time of imaginary strand sections from the mold up to a given section of the cooling zone such reference values are changed, the improvement comprising the steps of, during casting, integrating the speed of the individual strand sections over the travel time and Simultaneously fixing the time spent by a strand section in the cooling zone to determine by means of the computer the amount of cooling agent applied to the individual strand sections, comparing such value with reference quantities and determining the residual amount of cooling agent which is still to be applied to such strand section, and, as a function of such residual amount of cooling agent after a timedisplacement determined by the computer, selectively changing the length of the individual cooling zone sections, the total length of the cooling zone, or both the length of the individual cooling zone sections and the total length of the cooling zone, and thus maintaining constant the residence time of the individual strand sections in the total cooling zone while regulating the flow of cooling agent to each cooling zone section.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
273 words
A method for controlling the cooling of a continuously cast strand of metal at individual cooling zone sections after departing from a continuous casting mold, wherein the quantities of cooling agent impinging against the surface of the strand of the cooling zone sections are adjustable, and at the beginning of a casting operation there is determined by a computer reference values of such quantities of cooling agent as a function of the chemical composition of the strand material, the strand crosssection and the desired casting speed, and during casting depending upon the travel time of imaginary strand sections from the mold up to a given section of the cooling zone such reference values are changed, the improvement comprising the steps of, during casting, integrating the speed of the individual strand sections over the travel time and Simultaneously fixing the time spent by a strand section in the cooling zone to determine by means of the computer the amount of cooling agent applied to the individual strand sections, comparing such value with reference quantities and determining the residual amount of cooling agent which is still to be applied to such strand section, and, as a function of such residual amount of cooling agent after a timedisplacement determined by the computer, selectively changing the length of the individual cooling zone sections, the total length of the cooling zone, or both the length of the individual cooling zone sections and the total length of the cooling zone, and thus maintaining constant the residence time of the individual strand sections in the total cooling zone while regulating the flow of cooling agent to each cooling zone section.