Abstract: The stability and consistency of the continuous casting slabs are critical issues for the three-strand continuous casting with an irregular tundish. The mathematical model for the calculation of the RTD curve with the an irregular tundish, the flow and temperature fields of the irregular tundishes using argon blowing through gas curtain wall and with flow control device was established by coupling the standard k-ε model, DPM, mass and heat transfer models. Numerical simulations were used to investigate the effects of different flow control measures on the consistency of flow, RTD characteristics and temperature among three outlets of an irregular tundish by comparing the prototype tundish, gas curtain wall tundish and V-shape perforated baffle tundish. The flow velocity distribution of cloud maps and vector diagrams, and the distribution of tracer were ranked in superior sequence as baffle tundish, gas curtain wall tundish and prototype tundish. For the prototype, gas curtain wall and baffle tundishes, from the calculation results of RTD curves,the average residence times were 692.8, 673.1, 725.2 s; the dead region fractions were 20.4%,24.8%,14.9%; the peak value standard deviations were 1.97,1.19,0.266; and the average inlet-outlet temperature differences were 11.32,14.10,10.81 K, respectively. Therefore, the V-shape perforated baffle tundish is better than the prototype tundish and gas curtain wall tundish, which is conducive to the removal of inclusions and slab quality consistency of the three strands.

Key words: irregular three-strand tundish, numerical simulation, flow field, temperature field, strand consistency