**Nomenclature**

15 illustrates in graphical form that the local cooling rates remain as a distribution of values with an average value of μ = 0.230 °C/sec, with a standard error of σ = 0.073, and min and max values of 0 and 1.729, respectively. Figure 16 depicts the temperature distribution inside the bloom section, defining the shell thicknesses along the x and y axes (Sx and Sy), at the computed

**Figure 16.** Temperature distribution inside a bloom section as computed for the selected HC steel cast at the following conditions: *Uc* = 0.40 m/min, *SPH* = 45 K, *ℓpkg* = 0.200, *a<sup>g</sup>* = 0% (Run no. 9, Table 2). The results presented correspond to the time instance of 3750 sec, or equivalently to a position of 25.0 m from the meniscus-level. Some solid fraction val‐

One last comment about the computed values of local cooling rates: once the shell formation has been created inside the mold, the average values of the local cooling rates are more or less stabilized to specific values. For example, for the cases presented in the Figures 9 through 16, the overall average values for the local cooling rates are about 0.234°C/s for the MC and 0.217°C/ s for the HC, respectively. Supplying these values to the micro-segregation model, the values of 1389°C and 1306°C for the solidus temperatures of the MC and HC grades can be deduced, respectively. In this way, a priori calculated values for the solidus temperatures may be used with better precision in heat transfer applications that rely upon preselected values only.

The prediction of the grain size of the solidified metal structure as described in Ref. [27], together with the percentage of the equiaxed zone that may be formed depending on the prevailing heat-transfer conditions may be one part for future work; another part could be the

The installation of strand EMS has been decided for the Stomana caster. The target is to come up with blooms having better internal soundness than the one presented in Figure 1. However,

analysis of thermal stress-strain phenomena that act upon the solidifying shell.

some fundamental points are covered with the help of this study. Summarizing:

solidus temperature of 1306°C.

334 Heat Transfer Studies and Applications

ues are also presented (in purple color).

**8. Conclusions**



*Uc*; Casting speed, in m/min


Δx, Δy; Distance between adjacent nodal points along the x- and y-axis, respectively, in m


Subscripts


#### **Acknowledgements**

The author is grateful to the top-management of Sidenor SA for the continuous support upon these types of studies, as well as for the permission of publishing this piece of work. My continuous gratitude and respect to Professor Rabi Baliga from the Mechanical Engineering Department of McGill University, Montreal, Canada, who introduced me to the field of computational fluid-flow and heat transfer should also be acknowledged.

#### **Author details**

Panagiotis Sismanis

Address all correspondence to: psismanis@sidenor.vionet.gr

Sidenor SA, Greece
