The main differences in the transient zone extent between the individual strands for the former industrial six-strand tundish configuration is the basis for undertaking this study. The aim this study was to improve the casting conditions by proposing the optimal equipment of the tundish working space. For economic reasons, only the variants with different baffles configurations were considered. It was also dictated by the simplicity of construction and the possibility of its implementation by the base operating steel mill. In the current study, industrial plant measurements and mathematical modeling were used. Industrial experimental data were used to diagnose the current state of the industrial tundish and then validate the numerical simulations. After this, the influence of different baffle configurations installed in the tundish on the steel flow characteristic was modeled mathematically. Residence time distribution (RTD) curves are plotted, and individual flow shares for the investigated tundish were estimated based on the curves. Finally, the industrial plant was rebuilt according to the numerical results and additional plant measurements were performed. A result of the appearance of the baffles in the tundish working space was the reduction of the transient zone extent. The results indicate the increasing share of the dispersed plug flow and a decreasing share of the dead volume flow, with a practically unchanging share of well-mixed volume flow in the modified tundish.
A highly effective method of the processing of steelmaking dust in an arc-resistant furnace has been presented. The aim of the research was to investigate the possibility of processing steelmaking dust in terms of waste minimization and selective recovery of valuable components. For this purpose, an electric arc resistance furnace was used. Granulated steelmaking dust with reducer (coal dust) was the input material. The products of the process are zinc oxide, iron alloy and slag, with properties meeting high ecological requirements. The technology does not generate solid waste. Zinc recovery is over 99% and iron recovery over 98%. The content of heavy metals (Zn + Pb + Cu) in glassy slag is below 0.2%, which ensures very low leachability.