New Vesuvius SEN designs allows more efficient steel production
Reducing the energy intensity of the thin slab casting process is a means to reduce production costs. A significant way to achieve this objective is by increasing tundish life, thereby reducing the refractory requirement. It also increases the steel yield by creating less tundish skulls.
Vesuvius has assisted a leading European steel plant to accomplish that performance by developing a longer life SEN, which has been the limiting factor for the life of the tundish.
This improvement was further complimented by reducing the frequency of breakouts and improving productivity by allowing an increase in average cast speed.
The solution is particularly difficult in a thin slab caster. However, using our unique Computational Flow Modelling Simulation capability, a new and improved SEN was created. The design was successfully introduced with positive results. It included an increase in steel yield of 0.2%, an increase of casting speed by 6% and a reduction of steel downgrades of 0.5%. Combined, the net result was a cost reduction of over 1 Million Euros and a reduction of CO2 emissions by 4,750 tons / year.
