Evaluating the Effects of Certain Process Parameters on the Metal Cooling Rate in a Steel Ladle

The study analyzes experimental data on the temperature of the liquid metal prior to tapping from a steel making unit in a steel ladle and the metal temperature in a ladle depending on time under the assumption that experimental values are independent random variables. The maximum metal cooling rate observed at this stage was 3.16°C/min. The maximum cooling rate was shown to be caused by two factors, including the greatest heat loss by radiation from the open surface of the melt and the heating temperature of the steel ladle lining prior to the ladle filling with a liquid metal. A linear relationship is thus revealed between the melt cooling rate and the temperatures of the metal prior to tapping and of the steel ladle lining. In addition, the temperature and ladle time of a metal are linearly dependent. The theoretically calculated time of metal cooling to the assigned temperature is in satisfactory agreements with the experiment. Factors decreasing the metal cooling rate are established.