A FUZZY LOGIC APPROACH FOR OPTIMAL CONTROL OF CONTINUOUS CASTING PROCESS

conference paper

English

Nowadays the continuous casting is used for providing almost one hundred percent of world steel production. A wide range of steel grades is continuously cast with high-quality achievements. The solidifying steel, during its pass through the caster, is subjected to variable thermal conditions and mechanical loading, both of which contribute to the material stresses and strains, the main sources of the defects. Some of these defects might be eliminated by a preceding computer simulation, optimization and subsequent control of the casting process. This paper describes an original algorithm for obtaining such control parameters which ensure the high production rate and the high quality of products as well. This algorithm is based on the keeping surface and core temperatures in the specific ranges corresponding with ductility of steel. The core of the algorithm is our original three-dimensional numerical model of temperature field where heat and mass transfer phenomenon including phase changes is deal with. Geometry and specifications of the caster are taken from the real caster operating in EVRAZ VÍTKOVICE STEEL, a.s. This model is verified by pyrometers measurements. The optimization part lies above the numerical model and iteratively improves the input parameters (casting speed and cooling rates) in order to reach desired surface and core temperatures. The optimization algorithm is performed by our fuzzy-logic interface and runs in off-line version. Its results can be used as a preparation tool for the real casting process.

Fuzzy optimization, temperature field, continuous casting, secondary cooling

MAUDER, T.; ŠANDERA, Č.; ŠTĚTINA, J.; MASARIK, M.

2012

23. 5. 2012

TANGER, spol. s r. o.

Ostrava, Czech Republic

978-80-87294-29-1

METAL 2012 Conference proceedings

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