Multi-Nozzle Injection Cooling for Continuous Casting Strands
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing cooling methods for metallic strands in continuous casting machines result in discontinuous cooling due to intermittent application of spray liquid, leading to inefficiencies and non-homogeneous cooling effects.
Innovation Solution
A spraying apparatus with multiple nozzle heads and switching valves that allow for continuous operation by varying the spray liquid quantity through nozzle activation and deactivation, ensuring uniform distribution and continuous cooling by overlapping spray jets.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If spray nozzles are operated intermittently using switching valves to reduce spray liquid quantity, then the amount of spray liquid is reduced, but the cooling becomes discontinuous and non-homogeneous
Solution Approach 1:
The spray system is divided into multiple independently controllable nozzle groups (first nozzles, second nozzles, third nozzles) that can be activated or deactivated separately. This segmentation allows the system to maintain continuous cooling by switching between different nozzle groups while still reducing overall spray liquid consumption by not all nozzles operating simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts which nozzle groups are active based on cooling requirements. By continuously switching between different nozzle configurations rather than operating all nozzles intermittently, the system maintains dynamic cooling continuity while controlling spray liquid quantity.
2Device complexity
If multiple nozzles are arranged side by side with non-overlapping spray jets to simplify design, then device complexity is reduced, but cooling uniformity across the strand width deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the cooling coverage of multiple nozzles by arranging them with overlapping spray jets. This overlap ensures that the entire strand width receives uniform cooling coverage, as each region is serviced by multiple nozzles rather than just one, eliminating cold spots and ensuring homogeneous cooling across the width.
Solution Approach 2:
Different nozzle groups are positioned to target specific regions of the strand width with overlapping coverage. The local spray patterns are designed to ensure that each section of the strand receives adequate cooling from multiple angles, creating locally optimized cooling zones that collectively provide uniform overall cooling.
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
Enables a wide range of spray liquid variation while maintaining continuous cooling, achieving homogeneous cooling of metallic strands with improved efficiency and reliability.
Implementation Method 1
a spray jet is applied to a metal strand using multiple spray nozzles
Implementation Method 2
cooling a metallic strand in a continuous casting machine
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
Figure 4~5
AI summary
The invention relates to a spray apparatus (10, 60) for cooling a metallic strand in a continuous casting machine, in which at least one multi-nozzle head (16) and at least one switching valve (26, 28, 30) are provided, wherein the multi-nozzle head has at least one first and one second nozzle (46, 48, 50), wherein the switching valve is arranged upstream of the multi-nozzle head, wherein the switching valve is in flow communication with all second nozzles in the multi-nozzle head in order to release or block a supply of spray liquid to all second nozzles.