GCD Tundish Dryers and Preheaters

Description

Sterling designed, tundish dryer for a billet caster tundish.  The combustion and control system is  behind the raised cover

GCD International has developed expertise in the design and supply of steel ladle and tundish dryers and preheaters.

Tundishes are used as a system to control and regulate the pouring rate of molten steel into continuous casting machines.
 

Tundish Drying

During the tundish refractory drying process, the moisture in the refractory is to be slowly expelled from the refractory has  to ensure that cracking and exfoliation does not occur.

The drying process is usually the subject of a time temperature relationship whereby the temperature increase has to be ramped up slowly and deliberately to a number of hold temperatures, where the temperature is maintained for a definite period, before increasing temperatures again.

Usually the dryers are only designed to take the refractory chamber and the hot face refractory temperature to around 700 - 800^oC

Tundish Preheater

GCD oxygen enriched tundish preheater for a slab caster  tundish in operating position

The purpose of the preheater is to ensure that the temperature of the hot face refractory is as close to the temperature of the molten steel as is practicable.

 

The tundishes typically are slowly brought up to temperature in the early stages of the cycle according to a time temperature relationship involving controlled ramp rate and soaking time. For casting thinner steel sections temperatures around 1,500^oC maybe specified. Thicker steel sections such as slabs may be cast with hot face temperatures commencing at around 1,250 - 1,300^oC. 

To achieve these high temperatures within a reasonable time frame it is common practice to employ oxygen to enrich the combustion air stream or to add oxygen via oxygen ports within the burner itself. The effect of the oxygen is to increase the flame temperature and the rate of heat transfer.

 

 
 
 

 

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