Continuous Casting Mold Copper Plate With Optical Fiber Breakout Sensing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for detecting longitudinal crack defects and breakouts in continuous steel casting are inadequate due to wide spacing of thermocouples, missing small-scale abnormalities, and require special processing that weakens the mold structure.
Innovation Solution
Embed optical fiber temperature sensors, specifically FBG or OFDR sensors, at intervals of less than 50 mm across mold copper plates at multiple levels, allowing precise temperature detection without special slit groove processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If sheathed thermocouples are embedded at intervals of 100 mm to 200 mm in the width direction of the mold copper plate, then the detection system can operate with conventional components, but small-scale breakouts such as longitudinal crack defects, bleeds, and melt leakages cannot be detected
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional sheathed thermocouples (mechanical/electrical sensing system) with optical fiber temperature sensors (optical sensing system). This substitution enables much finer spacing (50-100 mm) between sensors without the structural constraints that limited conventional thermocouple placement, thereby detecting small-scale breakouts while maintaining system manageability through optical measurement capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the spacing parameter of temperature sensors from 100-200 mm to 50-100 mm, doubling the detection density. This parameter change enables the detection of small-scale breakouts including longitudinal crack defects, bleeds, and melt leakages that were previously undetectable with coarser spacing, directly improving measurement precision for breakout detection.
2Measurement precision
If sheathed thermocouples are embedded at intervals of less than 100 mm in the width direction, then detection precision for small-scale breakouts is improved, but many insertion holes are required which lowers the strength of the backup plate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional sheathed thermocouples with optical fiber temperature sensors that have much smaller insertion dimensions. This substitution allows achieving 50-100 mm sensor spacing with minimal impact on backup plate strength, as the optical sensors require significantly fewer and smaller insertion holes compared to conventional thermocouples, thereby maintaining structural integrity while improving detection precision.
3Measurement precision
If insertion holes for sheathed thermocouples are made to avoid communicating with slit grooves, then temperature measurement accuracy is maintained, but special processing of slit grooves into curved shape is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces conventional sheathed thermocouples with optical fiber temperature sensors that can be inserted through existing straight slit grooves without requiring special curvature processing. This substitution eliminates the need for complex curved groove processing while maintaining temperature measurement accuracy, as optical fibers can be properly positioned and protected within the standard mold geometry, thereby improving ease of manufacture.
4Productivity
If the casting speed is increased to improve productivity, then output is improved, but the solidified shell grows abnormally leading to longitudinal crack defects and breakouts
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback control system that continuously monitors temperature distribution in the mold using densely spaced optical fiber sensors and calculates an M value to detect abnormal solidified shell growth. When abnormalities such as longitudinal cracks or breakouts are detected, the system provides feedback to adjust casting parameters, thereby maintaining high productivity while ensuring solidified shell quality and preventing defects.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces conventional sparse temperature monitoring with dense optical fiber sensor networks that provide real-time, high-resolution temperature fields. This substitution enables continuous monitoring of solidified shell growth at high casting speeds, allowing early detection of abnormal growth patterns and enabling proactive control adjustments to maintain both high productivity and solidified shell quality.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Accurately predicts longitudinal crack defects and breakouts with higher precision, stabilizing continuous steel casting by using the M value as an operation index.
Implementation Method 1
an optical fiber temperature sensor embedded therein across a width direction of the mold copper plate at at least two different levels in a casting direction
Data Source
AI summary
A mold used in continuous steel casting includes a plurality of mold copper plates. At least one of the plurality of mold copper plates has an optical fiber temperature sensor embedded therein across a width direction of the mold copper plate at at least two different levels in a casting direction.