Porous argon-blowing anti-blocking stopper

Abstract

The present application relates to metallurgical continuous casting equipment technical field, disclose a kind of porous argon blowing anti-blocking stopper, including including: stick head and body, it is characterized in that: the first vent hole is provided in the cavity of the body;The inner cavity of the top end of the stick head is provided with airflow regulating component, for flow regulation and flow stabilization of argon, one end of the airflow regulating component is communicated with the first vent hole;The present application provides a kind of porous argon blowing anti-blocking stopper, through the cooperation of airflow regulating component, the second vent hole of stick head bottom end face, the third vent hole of bottom end outside annular array, respectively on stopper stick head working surface and ladle bowl mouth area form full coverage, directional uniform blowing, from the source to block the adsorption and accumulation of inclusions in molten steel, effectively avoid pouring channel blockage, ensure continuous and stable operation of continuous casting production.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of metallurgical continuous casting equipment technology, and in particular to a porous argon blowing anti-clogging stopper rod. Background Technology

[0002] Integral stopper rods are key functional refractory components in continuous steel casting processes, controlling the flow rate of molten steel. They play a crucial role in flow regulation and start / stop of pouring on the continuous casting production line. Argon-blown stopper rods, as an important type of integral stopper rod, create uniformly dispersed small bubbles within the molten steel by blowing inert gases such as argon. This agitates and purifies the molten steel, allowing inclusions to float to the surface, making them particularly suitable for the continuous casting production of high-quality special steels.

[0003] Currently, the industry has publicly available solutions such as the multi-hole argon-blowing rod head solution (CN223160067U). This solution utilizes multiple sets of vent holes on the rod head to form an air curtain, which alleviates the problem of inclusion adhesion and blockage to some extent. However, the venting component structure of this solution is fixed, making it difficult to adapt the argon flow rate to different production conditions. The outlet airflow stability is insufficient, and there are also practical problems such as easy disturbance of molten steel and high argon consumption. Conventional argon-blowing plug rods also have the above shortcomings. Under high-temperature conditions, inclusions are still prone to accumulate on the surface of the rod head, causing blockage of the pouring channel, affecting the continuity of continuous casting production and the quality of the cast billet. Based on this, the present invention proposes a completely new technical solution to overcome the defects of the existing technology. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The purpose of this invention is to provide a porous argon blowing anti-clogging stopper rod to solve the problems of existing argon blowing stopper rods being prone to clogging, having unstable airflow, easily generating slag, and having insufficient adaptability to working conditions.

[0005] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a porous argon-blowing anti-clogging plug rod, characterized in that: the inner cavity of the main body is provided with a first vent hole extending axially; the first vent hole is used to communicate with an external argon gas source, serving as the main argon gas inlet channel; the rod head is located at the lower end of the main body; an airflow regulating component is provided in the inner cavity of the top of the rod head for regulating the flow rate of argon gas, one end of the airflow regulating component being connected to the first vent hole; the bottom of the rod head is provided with an outlet section communicating with its internal flow channel, the outlet section including: a first outlet area located on the end face of the bottom end of the rod head; and a second outlet area located on the outer peripheral surface of the bottom end of the rod head.

[0006] The airflow regulating component includes a first body part and a second body part coaxially connected. The cross-sectional area of ​​the first body part is smaller than that of the second body part. Both the first body part and the second body part are provided with guide holes, and the guide holes are connected to form the guide channel.

[0007] The first body part is an upper cylindrical section, and the second body part is a lower cylindrical section, wherein the diameter of the upper cylindrical section is smaller than the diameter of the lower cylindrical section.

[0008] The diameter of the flow guide hole can be customized within the range of 1mm to 5mm according to the operating conditions.

[0009] The first venting area is composed of a plurality of first venting holes opened on the bottom end face of the rod head, and the second venting area is composed of a plurality of second venting holes opened on the outer peripheral surface of the bottom end of the rod head.

[0010] Multiple first air outlets are evenly distributed on the end face of the bottom end of the rod head; multiple second air outlets are distributed circumferentially on the outer peripheral surface of the bottom end of the rod head.

[0011] The diameter of the first vent is 1±0.2mm, and the diameter of the second vent is 0.8±0.2mm.

[0012] This invention utilizes an airflow regulating component, along with a second vent hole on the bottom end face of the stopper rod and a third vent hole arranged in a ring array on the outer side of the bottom end, to perform directional blowing on the working surface of the stopper rod head and the bowl of the tundish, forming a complete air curtain in the two key areas. This effectively prevents the adhesion and accumulation of inclusions in the molten steel, ensuring the continuous and stable operation of continuous casting production.

[0013] Compared to existing technologies and prior art document CN223160067U, this application, by setting up an airflow regulating component with two air outlet areas at different locations, can simultaneously form a purging air curtain on the end face of the rod head and the bowl position of the tundish. This reduces the accumulation and adhesion of inclusions in the molten steel at the rod head, lowers the probability of blockage in the pouring channel, and forms a vortex after the airflow passes through the variable diameter guide channel, improving the airflow fluctuation problem caused by direct blowing in the past. The argon gas outlet is more stable and gentle, reducing the disturbance of the airflow to the molten steel surface, reducing slag entrapment, and improving the quality of the cast billet. The diameter of the guide hole can be selected according to the on-site production conditions. Only the airflow regulating component needs to be replaced to adapt to different steel grades and different inclusion contents, without replacing the entire stopper rod. This provides greater flexibility for on-site use. While meeting the purging protection requirements, it can reduce the consumption of argon gas. At the same time, the air curtain formed outside the rod head can buffer the thermal scouring of the molten steel, slow down the erosion and loss of refractory materials, extend the service life of the stopper rod, reduce the frequency of spare parts replacement, and reduce on-site production and maintenance costs. Attached Figure Description

[0014] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of the present invention.

[0015] In the diagram: 1. Rod head; 2. Body; 3. Airflow regulating component; 4. First vent; 5. Second air outlet area; 6. Third air outlet area. Detailed Implementation

[0016] The technical solutions of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. All other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art based on the embodiments of the present invention without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0017] Integral stopper rods are key refractory components in continuous casting processes, controlling the flow rate of molten steel. They primarily regulate the flow rate and control the start and stop of casting. Argon-blown stopper rods, a common type of integral stopper rod, introduce argon gas into the molten steel during operation. The generated bubbles agitate and purify the steel, causing inclusions to rise to the surface. This design is highly suitable for continuous casting of high-quality special steels.

[0018] Under actual production conditions, the existing argon-blown stopper rods do not perform well in preventing blockage. When exposed to high temperatures for extended periods, various inclusions inside the molten steel are easily adsorbed and accumulated on the surface of the stopper rod head, gradually causing partial blockage or even complete blockage of the pouring channel. This forces the continuous casting production line to shut down, directly disrupting production continuity and also lowering the quality of the finished billet.

[0019] To address the pain point of stopper rod clogging, existing technologies involve creating multiple vents at the rod head, using a diffusion venting device to deliver argon gas, and simultaneously creating openings at the bottom and outer side of the rod head to attempt multi-angle purging and alleviate inclusion buildup. However, this structure still has several shortcomings in practical application. The venting device can only achieve simple gas diffusion and cannot adjust the argon flow rate according to the actual production conditions of the steel plant; the arrangement and diameter design of the vents are relatively crude, with argon gas mostly ejected in a straight column, resulting in poor uniformity and excessive airflow in some areas, which can easily agitate the molten steel; the design of the venting points lacks specificity, making it difficult to simultaneously address the two slag-prone areas of the stopper rod head working surface and the ladle bowl, failing to achieve zoned and balanced purging, and the anti-clogging effect does not meet the needs of actual production.

[0020] This invention provides, for example Figure 1 The technical solution shown is a porous argon-blown anti-clogging stopper rod, comprising a rod head 1 and a body 2. The rod head 1 is assembled and fixed at the lower end of the body 2, and the two together constitute the main body of the stopper rod. In actual production, the rod head 1 and the body 2 can be integrally pressed and sintered into a whole component by isostatic pressing, or they can be prefabricated separately and then bonded together by high-temperature refractory adhesive. Both assembly methods can realize this solution.

[0021] The inner cavity of the main body 2 is provided with a first vent 4 that runs through the axis. The first vent 4 is directly connected to an external argon gas source, serving as the main air intake channel for argon gas to enter the stopper rod. The inner side of the top of the rod head 1 is provided with an inner cavity, and an airflow regulating component 3 is installed inside the inner cavity. The upper end of the airflow regulating component 3 is connected to the first vent 4. The bottom of the rod head 1 is provided with an outlet section, which is connected to the guide channel inside the rod head 1. The outlet section consists of a first outlet area 5 and a second outlet area 6. The first outlet area 5 is located at the end face of the bottom of the rod head 1, and the second outlet area 6 is located at the outer circumferential surface of the bottom of the rod head 1.

[0022] The prior art document CN223160067U only uses a fixed-structure diffusion permeable plug for gas distribution, and the gas flows directly to the outlet after intake, lacking a pre-installed flow regulation component. This solution adds an independent airflow regulation component 3 between the intake channel and the outlet area. Argon gas must first be processed by the airflow regulation component 3 before being diverted and transported to the first outlet area 5 and the second outlet area 6, realizing pre-control of the intake state. At the same time, two separate outlet areas are set up, corresponding to the working surface of the rod head 1 end face and the two easy-to-accumulate slag positions of the middle cup, which can simultaneously carry out purging protection on two key positions, overcoming the shortcomings of the existing technology in terms of insufficient gas outlet targeting and difficulty in zonal balanced purging.

[0023] The actual gas flow path is as follows: Argon gas enters the stopper rod from the external gas source through the first vent 4, is sent into the airflow regulating component 3, and after the flow rate and flow state are adjusted through the internal guide channel of the component, it is then delivered to the first gas outlet area 5 and the second gas outlet area 6 respectively and sprayed outward, forming a three-dimensional protective air curtain at the lower end of the rod head 1.

[0024] The airflow regulating component 3 includes a first body part and a second body part that are coaxially connected. The cross-sectional area of ​​the first body part is smaller than that of the second body part. Both the first body part and the second body part have guide holes inside. The two guide holes are connected and together form a complete guide channel.

[0025] The diffusion-permeable plug in prior art CN223160067U relies on the porous material gaps to randomly disperse gas, resulting in uncontrollable gas flow and mostly direct gas flow. This application uses a coaxial docking structure of two body sections with different cross-sectional areas. When the argon gas flows through the guide channel, the flow cross-section changes abruptly, and the flow field changes accordingly. The gas flow spontaneously forms vortices, which stabilize the gas flow and weaken the gas flow pulsation caused by direct gas flow. This change in flow field is an objective fluid effect caused by the change in cross-section, rather than a simple gas diffusion, thus achieving a more stable gas flow state.

[0026] The first body part is configured as an upper cylinder, and the second body part is configured as a lower cylinder, wherein the diameter of the upper cylinder is smaller than the diameter of the lower cylinder.

[0027] This embodiment provides a preferred physical structure for the airflow regulating component 3, with the upper cylindrical section close to the body 2 and the lower cylindrical section facing the bottom air outlet of the rod head 1; the upper and lower cylindrical sections are coaxially connected and the internal guide holes are interconnected.

[0028] Argon gas enters through the smaller diameter upper cylindrical guide hole and flows into the larger diameter lower cylindrical guide hole, expanding the flow cross section and causing the airflow to form a vortex, thus reducing the airflow impact. This cylindrical splicing structure is easy to process and can be adapted to the installation cavity inside the stopper rod.

[0029] It should be noted that, in addition to the cylindrical structure of this embodiment, any other rotating body structure that can achieve the formation of vortices by changing the cross-sectional area of ​​two sections can also be used.

[0030] The diameter of the guide hole can be customized within a range of 1mm to 5mm, depending on the actual working conditions on site.

[0031] Specifically, the dispersion vent plug in the comparative document is a prefabricated integral component with fixed venting pores, which cannot adjust the ventilation capacity for different steel grades and inclusion contents. The diameter of the guide hole in this solution can be customized as needed. When the diameter is small, the argon gas flow is small and the gas output is gentle. When the diameter is large, a larger purging gas volume can be obtained. On-site production does not require replacing the entire plug rod. Only the airflow adjustment component 3 with the appropriate diameter needs to be replaced, which can adapt to various continuous casting conditions such as ordinary carbon steel and various special steels, thus improving the equipment's adaptability and flexibility.

[0032] The first venting area 5 is composed of multiple first venting holes opened on the bottom end face of the rod head 1; the second venting area 6 is composed of multiple second venting holes opened on the outer circumferential surface of the bottom end of the rod head 1.

[0033] The first vent is located on the lowest end face of the rod head 1, with the vent directed towards the molten steel, directly protecting the working surface of the rod head 1. The second vent is located on the outer peripheral wall of the bottom end of the rod head 1, with the vent directed towards the mating gap of the ladle bowl. The use of discrete multiple holes to form two venting areas makes it easier to achieve uniform gas distribution over a large area compared to a few large-diameter openings, providing a structural basis for zoned purging.

[0034] Multiple first vent holes are evenly distributed on the bottom end face of the rod head 1; multiple second vent holes are distributed circumferentially on the outer peripheral surface of the bottom end of the rod head 1.

[0035] The first set of vents is evenly distributed across the bottom end face of the rod head 1, eliminating blind spots where there is no airflow and preventing the accumulation of debris due to lack of air film protection in certain areas. The second set of vents is arranged circumferentially along the outer periphery of the bottom end of the rod head 1, forming a continuous annular air curtain on the outside of the rod head 1. This completely covers the mating gap of the cup mouth, preventing debris from entering and causing blockage. The actual number of vents can be adjusted according to the outer diameter of the rod head 1 to accommodate different specifications of stopper rods.

[0036] The diameter of the first vent is 1 ± 0.2 mm, and the diameter of the second vent is 0.8 ± 0.2 mm. The comparative document shows that the vent diameter is too large, resulting in high gas ejection kinetic energy, which easily disturbs the molten steel surface, induces slag entrainment, and also increases argon consumption. This embodiment optimizes the above-mentioned vent diameter parameters: the first vent diameter is slightly larger to ensure the purging capability of the rod head 1 end face; the second vent diameter is smaller, forming a fine outer annular gas curtain. The two sets of vent diameters work together to ensure a gentle overall gas flow, reducing the agitation of the airflow on the molten steel and decreasing the probability of slag entrainment; simultaneously, while achieving anti-clogging purging, argon consumption is reduced; furthermore, the continuous gas curtain outside the rod head 1 can buffer the thermal erosion of the refractory matrix by the high-temperature molten steel, slowing down material erosion and extending the service life of the stopper rod, reducing the frequency of on-site spare parts replacement.

[0037] Finally, it should be noted that in this document, relational terms such as "first" and "second" are used merely to distinguish one entity or operation from another, and do not necessarily require or imply any such actual relationship or order between these entities or operations. Furthermore, the terms "comprising," "including," or any other variations thereof are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusion, such that a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises a list of elements includes not only those elements but also other elements not expressly listed, or elements inherent to such a process, method, article, or apparatus. Without further limitations, an element defined by the phrase "comprising one..." does not exclude the presence of other identical elements in the process, method, article, or apparatus that includes the element.

[0038] The specific embodiments provided by the present invention have been described in detail above. Specific examples have been used to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The description of the above embodiments is only for the purpose of helping to understand the method and core ideas of the present invention. At the same time, for those skilled in the art, there will be changes in the specific implementation methods and application scope based on the ideas of the present invention. Therefore, the content of this specification should not be construed as a limitation of the present invention.

Claims

1. A porous argon-blown anti-clogging stopper rod, comprising: The rod head (1) and the body (2) are characterized in that: the inner cavity of the body (2) is provided with a first vent hole (4) that extends through the axis. The first vent (4) is used to connect with an external argon gas source and serve as the main argon gas intake channel; the rod head (1) is located at the lower end of the body (2); The inner cavity of the top of the rod (1) is provided with an airflow regulating component (3) for regulating the flow rate of argon gas. One end of the airflow regulating component is connected to the first vent (4). The bottom of the rod head (1) is provided with an air outlet communicating with its internal flow channel, the air outlet comprising: The first venting area (5) is located on the end face of the bottom end of the rod head (1); The second venting area (6) is located on the outer periphery of the bottom end of the rod head (1).

2. The porous argon-blown anti-clogging stopper rod according to claim 1, characterized in that: The airflow regulating component (3) includes a first body part and a second body part that are coaxially connected. The cross-sectional area of ​​the first body part is smaller than that of the second body part. Both the first body part and the second body part are provided with guide holes, and the guide holes are connected to form the guide channel.

3. The porous argon-blown anti-clogging stopper rod according to claim 2, characterized in that: The first body part is an upper cylindrical section, and the second body part is a lower cylindrical section, wherein the diameter of the upper cylindrical section is smaller than the diameter of the lower cylindrical section.

4. The porous argon-blown anti-clogging stopper rod according to claim 3, characterized in that: The diameter of the guide hole can be customized within the range of 1mm to 5mm according to the operating conditions.

5. A porous argon-blown anti-clogging stopper rod according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first venting area (5) is composed of a plurality of first venting holes opened on the bottom end face of the rod head (1), and the second venting area (6) is composed of a plurality of second venting holes opened on the outer peripheral surface of the bottom end of the rod head (1).

6. The stopper rod according to claim 5, characterized in that: Multiple first air outlets are evenly distributed on the end face of the bottom end of the rod head (1); multiple second air outlets are distributed circumferentially on the outer peripheral surface of the bottom end of the rod head (1).

7. The stopper rod according to claim 6, characterized in that: The diameter of the first vent is 1±0.2mm, and the diameter of the second vent is 0.8±0.2mm.

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