Compact Casting-Rolling Layout for Thin Slab Solidification Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current composite casting-rolling systems are not compact enough for small-scale steel production, leading to high operational costs and CO2 emissions, and struggle to produce high-quality hot strips from a variety of steel grades, especially medium to higher alloy grades, due to inefficient energy use and solidification processes.
Innovation Solution
A compact casting-rolling system utilizing a straight mold with a funnel design and vertical strand guide to accumulate non-metallic inclusions, combined with controlled cooling and reheating processes, to produce a thin slab strand that solidifies horizontally, reducing energy consumption and allowing for the production of high-quality hot strips across various steel grades.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional combined casting-rolling systems are used, then production capacity is sufficient for large volumes, but the plant size and capital investment become too large for small-scale production of 1 million tonnes per year
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the continuous casting plant and hot rolling mill into a single integrated facility, eliminating the need for separate plants. The casting arch is positioned directly above the roughing mill, allowing the thin slab strand to be cast and immediately rolled without transport between separate facilities, achieving compact design for 1 million tonnes per year production capacity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes vertical space by positioning the casting arch directly above the roughing mill stands, allowing the strand to be cast vertically and then fed horizontally into the rolling mill. This three-dimensional arrangement significantly reduces the horizontal footprint of the plant while maintaining efficient production flow
2Device complexity
If the thin slab strand solidifies in the casting arch during pre-rolling, then the casting process is simple, but the pass temperature becomes too low requiring significantly higher energy for structure conversion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary heating of the thin slab strand in a heating zone before it enters the roughing mill stands. This pre-heating ensures the strand reaches optimal temperature for rolling, reducing the energy required during the actual rolling process and improving overall energy efficiency of the structure conversion
Solution Approach 2:
The patent controls the solidification and temperature parameters by adjusting the cooling rate in the casting arch and the heating temperature in the heating zone. By optimizing these parameters, the strand maintains appropriate temperature for energy-efficient rolling while ensuring complete solidification before finishing stands
3Length of stationary object
If medium to high-alloy steel grades are produced in two-roll strip casting plants, then the plant is very compact, but the production reliability becomes insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the advantages of compact two-roll strip casting with the reliability of conventional thin slab casting by using a multi-stand rolling mill instead of two-roll casting. The integrated design with direct coupling of casting and rolling maintains compactness while the controlled rolling process ensures reliable production of medium to high-alloy steel grades
4Productivity
If combined casting and rolling plants with multiple roughing and finishing stands are used, then production capacity increases, but the overall plant length and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent integrates the casting plant and hot rolling mill with multiple stands into a single compact facility, achieving high production capacity without proportionally increasing plant length. The vertical arrangement of casting arch over rolling stands maximizes space utilization
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from horizontal expansion to vertical utilization by positioning the casting arch directly above the rolling mill stands. This allows multiple processing stages to be arranged in a compact three-dimensional layout, increasing productivity without significantly extending the horizontal plant footprint
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 system achieves cost-effective production of high-quality hot strips with reduced energy use and increased productivity, enabling efficient operation at smaller scales while maintaining quality across a range of steel grades.
Implementation Method 1
A compact casting-rolling system utilizing a straight mold with a funnel design and vertical strand guide to accumulate non-metallic inclusions
Implementation Method 2
combined with controlled cooling and reheating processes, to produce a thin slab strand that solidifies horizontally
Implementation Method 3
combined with controlled cooling and reheating processes, to produce a thin slab strand that solidifies horizontally
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The invention relates to the technical field of combined casting-rolling installations. The aim of the invention is to provide a compact combined casting-rolling installation and a method for the continuous production of a hot-rolled finished strip (15) in the combined casting-rolling installation, whereby a high-quality finished strip (15) having different steel qualities can be produced at low cost. This aim is achieved by the combined casting-rolling installation according to claim 1 and a method for the continuous production of a hot-rolled finished strip (15) of steel according to claim 9.