Abstract: The tundish controlled by induction heating and argon blowing is expected to achieve efficient inclusion removal and low superheat pouring. For the technology, a three-dimensional unsteady mathematical model was established based on the induction heating tundish of a steel mill. The distribution of the magnetic field was studied, and the effects of argon blowing and gas blowing rates on the flow field, temperature field and inclusion removal were compared and analyzed. The results show that the minimum value of eccentric electromagnetic force in the induction heating tundish deviates from the geometric center of the channel by 10 mm, and Joule heat increases slightly along the channel radially closer to the coil. Argon blowing makes the molten steel in the induction heating tundish form a circulating flow on both sides of the gas curtain, eliminating the small inactive circulating flow in the corner of the tundish. And the temperature distribution in the pouring zone is more uniform. Compared with the induction heating tundish without argon blowing, the removal ratio of inclusions after argon blowing increases by 0.4 times, which has better inclusion removal effect. When the gas blowing rate is between 10 and 40 L/min, there is a small circulating flow with low flow rate near the channel side. When the blowing rate is increased to 55 L/min, a stable gas curtain begins to form in the pouring zone, and a circulating flow is formed on both sides of it. In this study, the blowing rate of 55 L/min has the best flow control and inclusion removal effect.

Key words: tundish, induction heating, argon blowing, magnetic field, flow field, temperature field, inclusions