Segmented Steel Sheet Cooling for Uniform Widthwise Temperature
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional cooling devices struggle to achieve uniform temperature distribution in hot rolled steel sheets during the cooling process, particularly in the rolling direction and sheet width direction, due to rapid transportation speeds and uneven temperature distributions, leading to inefficiencies and inaccuracies in controlling the cooling temperature.
Innovation Solution
A cooling device with width divided cooling zones and a switching mechanism that adjusts the impingement of cooling water nozzles based on temperature measurements, allowing for precise control of cooling water impingement on specific sections of the steel sheet, ensuring uniform cooling across the sheet width and rolling direction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If cooling water is sprayed over the steel sheet to cool it down, then the steel sheet temperature decreases, but uneven temperature distribution appears in the sheet width direction
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling device divides the cooling area into multiple independent cooling zones along the sheet width direction, with each zone having separately controllable cooling water supply. This segmentation allows different cooling intensities to be applied to different regions, compensating for inherent temperature differences across the sheet width and achieving more uniform temperature distribution.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements local quality control by adjusting the cooling water flow rate in each cooling zone according to the local temperature conditions. Zones with higher temperatures receive greater cooling intensity, while cooler zones receive reduced cooling, thereby maintaining temperature uniformity across the entire sheet width.
2Productivity
If the steel sheet is transported at high speed through the cooling device, then productivity increases, but the cooling time becomes insufficient leading to poor temperature control
Solution Approach 1:
The cooling system is designed to be dynamically adjustable during operation. The cooling water flow rates in different zones can be modified in real-time based on the steel sheet's temperature distribution and transport speed, allowing the system to maintain effective cooling control even at high productivity levels.
Solution Approach 2:
The system measures the temperature distribution of the incoming steel sheet before cooling and uses this information to pre-adjust the cooling water flow rates in various zones. This preliminary action ensures that the cooling process is optimized for the specific temperature profile and transport speed conditions, achieving accurate temperature control despite high-speed operation.
3Productivity
If cooling water spray quantity is increased to cool the steel sheet faster, then cooling efficiency improves, but temperature uniformity deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
Rather than uniformly increasing cooling water supply across all zones, the system applies local quality control by adjusting the cooling intensity in each zone according to its specific temperature requirements. This allows fast cooling where needed while maintaining temperature uniformity across the sheet width.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes the cooling water flow rate parameter in different zones based on measured temperature distributions. By adjusting these parameters adaptively, the system achieves both high cooling efficiency and temperature uniformity, resolving the contradiction between cooling speed and uniformity.
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
The solution enables more uniform temperature control of hot rolled steel sheets, reducing temperature deviations and improving the quality of the final product by ensuring consistent cooling across the sheet, even at high transportation speeds.
Implementation Method 1
vapor generated by film boiling stably covers the surface of the steel sheet until the temperature of the steel sheet is approximately 600° C. or higher
Implementation Method 2
cooling capacity itself of the cooling water low, but makes it comparatively easy to uniformly cool the surface of the steel sheet all over
Implementation Method 3
cooling water sprayed from cooling water nozzles for each of the divided cooling sections A3
Implementation Method 4
width direction thermometer measuring a temperature distribution in the sheet width direction
Data Source
AI summary
A cooling device cooling an undersurface of a hot rolled steel sheet that is being transported on transport rolls after finish rolling of a hot rolling step includes: width divided cooling zones that are a plurality of cooling zones into which a whole cooling zone is divided in a sheet width direction; divided cooling sections that are a plurality of cooling zones into which each of the width divided cooling zones is divided in the rolling direction; a water nozzle spraying cooling water over each of undersurfaces of the divided cooling sections; a switching mechanism switching the cooling water between impinging and not impinging on the divided cooling sections; a width direction thermometer measuring a temperature distribution in the sheet width direction; and a controller controlling operation of the switching mechanism.