Improvement of Stelmor Cooling Process for Rod

by Po-Hao Kao, Li-Wen Wu

Publisher - China Steel Corporation

Category - General Novel

Stelmor equipment is an important controlling region in determining the material qualities of products. In this report, a series of flow and thermal analysis for Stelmor air-cooling process have been conducted to investigate the relationship between flow patterns and the material qualities of the PC Wires (Pre-stressed Concrete Wires). Flow patterns controlled by process parameters (i.e. the baffles-angles and fan-loading, respectively) within single plenum were studied by CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) numerical simulations and by anemometer measurements. An operating database for predictions of air distributions upon conveyor deck could therefore be established. Based on the analysis for coil cooling requirements, the primary determination for setting the process parameters were obtained. However, cooling effect of Stelmor conveyor might need to be further improved for producing the PC Wires with better material quality and tensile strength. Present work also numerically investigated the case of the conveyor deck with air deflectors installed, and a result of cooling effect with 26% increment could then be achieved. For improving the quality of PC Wires with uniform strength, it is necessary to check the cooling effect along stock of Stelmor conveyor. Hence, measurements for coil surface temperature distributions were performed using infrared pyrometers. The coils surface temperature measurements were repeated to confirm the optimum process parameters used for each plenum and the established operating database was utilized to adjust these process parameters for desired air distribution on deck corresponding to the required cooling effect of Stelmor conveyor. Hence, the material qualities of the NLP (Non-Lead Patenting) PC Wires have been improved in CSC #2 Rod Mill.

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