Dimensionless diagrams for the temperature distribution in direct-chill continuous casting

This paper deals with the temperature distribution in direct-chill (DC) continuous casting and describes how results from a few computer simulations can form the basis for the construction of more generally applicable process diagrams based on dimensionless groups. Such diagrams were constructed for the temperature distribution in the steady-state period of the casting process for different types of aluminium alloys. The accuracy of these diagrams was checked extensively against literature data and revealed good correlations. Since the constructed diagrams are valid for a range of different casting conditions, they can be applied for sensitivity analysis, i.e. to obtain a general overview of the process and the relative importance of the different parameters.