Crystallizer narrow-face copper plate for improving casting blank quality

Abstract

The invention provides a crystallizer narrow-face copper plate for improving casting blank quality, which relates to the technical field of crystallizers and comprises a copper plate body, a plurality of vertical grooves are arranged on the back of the copper plate body, a flat cooling cavity extending transversely is arranged at the top of the back of the copper plate body, the depth of the flat cooling cavity is larger than that of the vertical grooves, and the bottom of the flat cooling cavity is communicated with the upper ends of the vertical grooves. A step is arranged on the side wall of the flat cooling cavity and is covered and sealed by a pressing plate to form an independent sealed cooling groove; the pressing plate is provided with a notch corresponding to the top of the cavity to form a water outlet channel, and the edge of the pressing plate is further provided with a concave sealing groove with a sealing strip. Cooling water enters from the narrow-face water tank, flows through the vertical groove from bottom to top, then is converged into the flat cooling cavity to be mixed and equalized in pressure, and then flows out from the water outlet channel to form inverted-T-shaped circulation. The independent pressure equalizing buffer cavity is formed in the top of the copper plate, so that the cooling uniformity of a meniscus area is remarkably improved, uniform formation of an initial blank shell is effectively promoted, cracks on the surface of a casting blank are reduced, and the product quality and the production stability are improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates primarily to the field of crystallizer technology, and more specifically to a narrow-face copper plate for crystallizers used to improve the quality of cast billets. Background Technology

[0002] The crystallizer is a key piece of equipment in the continuous steel casting process. Its internal water-cooling system rapidly cools the high-temperature molten iron, causing it to solidify. A traditional crystallizer typically consists of a square cavity formed by two narrow copper plates and two wide copper plates. Molten iron is poured in from the top and flows downwards. The back of the narrow copper plates is usually connected to a narrow water tank, and multiple vertically arranged cooling water channels (vertical grooves) are opened on their backs. The cooling water circulates within the channels, carrying away heat from the copper plates and thus cooling the molten iron and guiding its solidification.

[0003] However, in practical use, the above structure has certain limitations: in the upper region (i.e., the meniscus region) where molten iron just enters the crystallizer, the cross-section of the cooling water channel in the traditional vertical groove is relatively simple, and the water flow distribution and heat exchange are not uniform enough, which can easily lead to uneven cooling intensity in this region, affecting the uniform formation of the initial billet shell. Insufficient or excessive cooling in some areas may cause problems such as uneven billet shell thickness and surface cracks, thereby affecting the quality of the cast billet and the service life of the crystallizer. Summary of the Invention

[0004] 1. The technical problem that the invention aims to solve: This invention provides a narrow-face copper plate for a crystallizer to improve the quality of cast billets, thereby solving the technical problems existing in the background art.

[0005] 2. Technical Solution: To achieve the above objectives, the technical solution provided by the present invention is as follows: a narrow-faced copper plate for improving the quality of cast billets, comprising a copper plate body, wherein multiple vertical grooves for cooling water flow are formed on the back side of the copper plate body along the vertical direction, and a laterally extending flat cooling cavity is formed at the top of the back side of the copper plate body; the depth of the flat cooling cavity in the direction perpendicular to the back side of the copper plate body is greater than the depth of the vertical grooves. The bottom of the flat cooling cavity is in fluid communication with the upper ends of the multiple vertical grooves; the side wall of the flat cooling cavity is provided with a step around it; it also includes a pressure plate for covering the flat cooling cavity, the edge of the pressure plate being sealed to the step, thereby constructing the flat cooling cavity as an independent sealed cooling groove.

[0006] Furthermore, the cross-sectional shape of the flat cooling cavity is rectangular, elliptical, or racetrack-shaped.

[0007] Furthermore, a support block is provided at the top of the flat cooling cavity, and bolt connection holes are opened on the support block. The pressure plate is connected to the support block through the bolt connection holes.

[0008] Furthermore, the pressure plate is made of copper, stainless steel, or a high-strength corrosion-resistant alloy.

[0009] Furthermore, the pressure plate has a notch at the position corresponding to the top of the flat cooling cavity, and the notch and the top of the flat cooling cavity together form a water outlet channel.

[0010] Furthermore, the pressure plate has symmetrically formed concave sealing grooves, and a sealing strip is attached to the concave sealing grooves. After the narrow copper plate is connected to the narrow water tank, the sealing strip is used to prevent liquid leakage.

[0011] Furthermore, vertical through slots are symmetrically provided on both sides of the spaced vertical slots, and the vertical through slots are located outside the bolt connection holes.

[0012] 3. Beneficial effects: Compared with the prior art, the technical solution provided by this invention has the following advantages: This invention features a rational design. By adding an independent, flat cooling cavity to the top of the back of the narrow-faced copper plate and connecting it to each vertical slot, an optimized cooling water circulation path is constructed. After the cooling water completes the main cooling process by flowing through the vertical slots, it undergoes thorough mixing and pressure equalization within the top cavity before flowing out through a specific outlet channel. This effectively solves the problem of uneven cooling in the meniscus region of traditional structures.

[0013] This structure ensures uniform and stable initial cooling of high-temperature molten steel in the upper region of the crystallizer, promoting uniform initial shell formation, significantly reducing quality defects such as surface cracks in the cast billet, and improving product qualification rate. Meanwhile, the cavity is sealed to the steps via pressure plates, resulting in a reliable and compact structure that is easy to process and maintain, and highly practical.

[0014] It should be noted that the structures not described in this invention are not related to the design points and improvement directions of this invention, and are the same as or can be implemented using existing technologies, so they will not be elaborated here. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the structure when the present invention is connected to a narrow-faced water tank; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the exploded structure of the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of an existing narrow-face copper plate structure.

[0016] Figure label: 1. Copper plate body; 2. Vertical groove; 3. Flat cooling cavity; 31. Support block; 32. Bolt connection hole; 4. Pressure plate; 41. Notch; 42. Concave sealing groove; 43. Sealing strip; 5. Vertical through groove. Detailed Implementation

[0017] To facilitate understanding of the present invention, a more complete description of the invention will be given below with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate several embodiments of the invention. However, the invention can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that the disclosure of the invention will be more thorough and complete.

[0018] In the description of this invention, it should be understood that the terms "center," "longitudinal," "lateral," "length," "width," "thickness," "upper," "lower," "front," "rear," "left," "right," "vertical," "horizontal," "page," "bottom," "inner," "outer," "clockwise," and "counterclockwise," etc., indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the accompanying drawings. They are only for the convenience of describing this invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, they should not be construed as limitations on this invention.

[0019] Furthermore, the terms "first" and "second" are used for descriptive purposes only and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number of technical features indicated. Thus, a feature defined as "first" or "second" may explicitly or implicitly include one or more of that feature. In the description of this invention, "a plurality of" means two or more, unless otherwise explicitly specified.

[0020] In this invention, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the terms "installed," "connected," "linked," "fixed," "provided with," and "located in" should be interpreted broadly. For example, they can refer to a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; they can refer to a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; they can refer to a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium; and they can refer to the internal connection of two components. Those skilled in the art can understand the specific meaning of the above terms in this invention according to the specific circumstances.

[0021] It should be noted that structures not described in this invention do not involve the design points and improvement directions of this invention, and can all be achieved using existing technologies known to those skilled in the art.

[0022] The specific implementation of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to specific embodiments.

[0023] See attached document Figure 1-4 In this embodiment, the narrow-faced copper plate of the crystallizer mainly includes a copper plate body 1 and a pressure plate 4. The working surface of the copper plate body 1 is used to contact the high-temperature molten steel, while its back surface is used to assemble with an external narrow-faced water tank, together forming a closed cooling water circulation channel.

[0024] On the back side of the copper plate body 1, multiple vertically extending, parallel vertical grooves 2 are machined. These vertical grooves 2 are the main channels for cooling water flow and cooling of the copper plate. A key improvement is the integral machining of a transversely penetrating flat cooling cavity 3 in the top region of the back side of the copper plate body 1. The cross-sectional shape of this flat cooling cavity 3 is preferably rectangular, but it can also be elliptical or racetrack-shaped, etc. The key point is that the depth of this cavity in the direction perpendicular to the back side of the copper plate is significantly greater than the depth of the vertical grooves 2 below it. The bottom of the flat cooling cavity 3 and the upper ends of all the vertical grooves 2 below it maintain fluid communication through multiple connecting ports.

[0025] To enclose this flat cooling cavity 3 into an independent water chamber, a continuous step is machined around its opening sidewall. A pressure plate 4, whose shape matches the opening, is fastened to the step with bolts. The edge of the pressure plate 4 and the step are reliably sealed together by a sealing gasket, thus forming a sealed top cooling water chamber.

[0026] The pressure plate 4 has a pre-formed notch 41 at the top edge of the corresponding flat cooling cavity 3, near the inner edge of the copper plate. This notch 41, together with the top edge of the lower flat cooling cavity 3, forms a specific water outlet channel.

[0027] The pressure plate 4 itself can be made of copper, stainless steel or other high-strength corrosion-resistant alloys to ensure its structural strength and long-term service reliability.

[0028] On the bottom surface of the flat cooling cavity 3, four support blocks 31 are arranged in a rectangular array. Each support block 31 has bolt connection holes 32. After installation, the pressure plate 4 is connected by bolts, abutting against the support blocks 31 to form a flow channel for cooling water. To ensure the sealing of the connection interface, concave sealing grooves 42 are machined on the pressure plate 4 corresponding to these connection holes, and elastic sealing strips 43 are installed within the grooves. When the narrow-faced copper plate and the narrow-faced water tank are tightened by bolts, the sealing strips 43 are compressed, effectively preventing cooling water leakage from the joint surface.

[0029] In addition, on the back of the copper plate, on both sides of the spaced vertical grooves 2, there are also symmetrical vertical through grooves 5, which also serve a cooling function.

[0030] When the narrow-faced copper plate and the narrow-faced water tank of this embodiment are assembled, the cooling water circulates along the following path, forming an approximately "convex" shaped flow loop: The narrow-faced water tank has an inlet and an outlet, which are usually symmetrically arranged at the middle of the tank's vertical height. Pressurized cooling water is first injected into the cavity formed by the inner wall of the narrow-faced water tank and the back of the narrow-faced copper plate through the inlet near the bottom. Since the inlet is located in the middle, the cooling water will first flow towards the lower part of the cavity and fill it.

[0031] Subsequently, driven by system pressure, the cooling water enters each vertical cooling tank from the bottom and flows upward along the vertical tank 2. During this process, the cooling water and the copper plate body 1 undergo efficient heat exchange, removing a large amount of heat transferred from the working surface.

[0032] The cooling water flowing from the top of all the vertical channels 2 converges into the flat cooling chamber 3 at the top. Because this chamber has a large volume and is horizontally open, it can fully mix and equalize the pressure of the water flow from each vertical channel 2, which may have slight differences in flow rate or temperature.

[0033] After mixing and equalization, the cooling water flows out of the flat cooling chamber 3 through the outlet channel formed by the notch 41 on the pressure plate 4. After flowing out, the cooling water enters the space above the flat cooling chamber 3, which is enclosed by the back of the narrow copper plate and the inner wall of the narrow water tank.

[0034] Finally, this portion of the cooling water flows downwards, eventually collecting and exiting the narrow-faced water tank through the outlet in the middle, completing a full cooling cycle.

[0035] This unique flow design, particularly the top flat cooling cavity 3, ensures that the copper plate is "corresponding to the top of the copper plate" in the meniscus region immediately after the molten steel is injected into the crystallizer. The copper plate receives optimal initial cooling through the uniform and stable cooling water within the cavity. This helps form a uniformly thick and strong initial solidified shell, fundamentally reducing quality defects such as surface cracks and depressions in the cast billet, and significantly improving the quality and yield of continuously cast billets.

[0036] The technical solution of this invention has achieved significant results in practical applications. For example, on a slab continuous casting machine with an annual capacity of 1.8 million tons in a steel plant, after adopting this new type of narrow-face copper plate in the crystallizer, the service life of the narrow-face copper plate increased from approximately 38,000 tons to 52,000 tons under the conditions of casting 165x575 and 165x620mm slabs at a casting speed of 1.2-1.4 m / min, and the slab quality was improved simultaneously. On another slab continuous casting machine with an annual capacity of 2.4 million tons, for 200x850 and 200x950mm slabs, after adopting this structure, the casting speed was successfully increased from 1.7-1.8 m / min to 2.0-2.2 m / min while ensuring stable slab quality, and the service life of the copper plate was also effectively extended. These embodiments fully verify the beneficial effects of this invention in improving cooling uniformity, extending equipment life, and improving and stabilizing slab quality.

[0037] The above-described embodiments are merely illustrative of certain implementations of the present invention, and are described in a relatively specific and detailed manner. However, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of the present invention. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of the present invention, and these modifications and improvements are all within the scope of protection of the present invention. Therefore, the scope of protection of the present invention should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A narrow-faced copper plate for a crystallizer used to improve the quality of cast billets, characterized in that: The copper plate body (1) has multiple vertical grooves (2) for cooling water flow on its back side along the vertical direction, and a horizontally extending flat cooling cavity (3) is provided at the top of the back side of the copper plate body (1); the depth of the flat cooling cavity (3) in the direction perpendicular to the back side of the copper plate body (1) is greater than the depth of the vertical grooves (2). The bottom of the flat cooling cavity (3) is in fluid communication with the upper ends of the multiple vertical grooves (2); the side wall of the flat cooling cavity (3) is provided with a step around it; it also includes a pressure plate (4) for covering the flat cooling cavity (3), the edge of the pressure plate (4) is sealed to the step, thereby constructing the flat cooling cavity (3) into an independent sealed cooling groove.

2. A narrow-faced copper plate for improving the quality of cast billets according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cross-sectional shape of the flat cooling cavity (3) is rectangular, elliptical, or racetrack-shaped.

3. A narrow-faced copper plate for improving the quality of cast billets according to claim 1, characterized in that: The flat cooling cavity (3) is provided with a support block (31) at the top. The support block (31) has bolt connection holes (32). The pressure plate (4) is connected to the support block (31) through the bolt connection holes (32).

4. A narrow-faced copper plate for improving the quality of cast billets according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pressure plate (4) is made of copper, stainless steel or high-strength corrosion-resistant alloy.

5. A narrow-faced copper plate for improving the quality of cast billets according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pressure plate (4) has a notch (41) at the position corresponding to the top of the flat cooling cavity (3), and the notch (41) together with the top of the flat cooling cavity (3) form a water outlet channel.

6. A narrow-face copper plate for improving the quality of cast billets according to claim 5, characterized in that: The pressure plate (4) has symmetrical concave sealing grooves (42), and a sealing strip (43) is attached inside the concave sealing groove (42). After the narrow copper plate is connected to the narrow water tank, the sealing strip (43) is used to prevent liquid leakage.

7. A narrow-faced copper plate for improving the quality of cast billets according to claim 5, characterized in that: The vertical grooves (2) are spaced apart and symmetrically provided with vertical through grooves (5) on both sides. The vertical through grooves (5) are located outside the bolt connection holes (32).

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