Model experiments on problems in steel casting

In steel production plants, the molten raw steel flows from a tundish through a tube into a casting containment, from where it is withdrawn in a continuous manner to produce long rods. The flow is driven by gravity. The tube consists of refractory material, is therefore porous and exhibits limited accuracy when manufacturing the tube diameters. Due to the under-pressure caused by the flow through the tube, air may penetrate into the tube through the porous walls or through leakages at bonds, so that oxides and air inclusions may be formed. It is the aim of the present Diploma thesis to investigate the pressure distribution in the tube between the tun-dish and the casting containment and to derive consequences for the behaviour of the device due to air inclusions in steady and unsteady modes of operation.