Abstract: A three-dimensional numerical model of a 72 t tundish in HBIS Group Tangsteel New District was established to investigate and compare the effect of different tundish structures on the steel level fluctuation, velocity distribution, residence time, and inclusion removal, including the turbulence inhibitor, weir and dam. The turbulence movement of the molten steel was calculated using the Realizable k-ε model. The residence time of molten steel was achieved by solving a concentration scalar equation (User-Defined Scalar, UDS), and the floating and removal of inclusions was obtained by solving the Discrete Phase Model (DPM). The results show that the level fluctuation near the upper nozzle of the tundish under the turbulence inhibitor with eaves and the opening turbulence inhibitor fluctuated greatly, which was about 3～4 times of that without the turbulence inhibitor. However, with the turbulence inhibitor with baffles, the molten steel formed a circulating flow between the baffles and the fluctuation of the liquid level was small, even smaller than the situation without the turbulence inhibitor. The moving distance of the molten steel in the tundish was increased when the weir and dam in the tundish existed at the same time, which was conducive to the floating and removal of inclusions. Under the current conditions, the average residence time of molten steel was longer and the removal rate of inclusions floating was higher when the weir and the dam were 1 060 mm and 2 000 mm from the width center of the tundish. 

Key words: level fluctuation, turbulence inhibitor, weir and dam, residence time, tundish