Claims:We claim:
1. A system for detecting bleeding of molten metal in a mold (101) during continuous casting process, the system comprising:
a level detection module (103) configured to measure mold level corresponding to the molten metal in the mold (101);
a control unit (105) associated with the level detection module (103), configured to:
receive input data (207) comprising a plurality of mold level samples for a selected time instance, from the level detection module (103) in real-time;
determine a first mold level difference for each of the plurality of mold level samples based on a predefined set point of the mold level;
determine a first Moving Standard Deviation (MSD) of the first mold level difference of each of the plurality of mold level samples, for a predefined time interval;
determine a delta MSD based on the first MSD of the mold level difference determined for the selected time instance and a second MSD of a second mold level difference determined for a preceding time instance of the selected time instance; and
compare the delta MSD with a predefined deviation threshold to detect bleeding of the molten metal in the mold (101) in real-time.
2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit (105) determines the first mold level difference by computing a difference of each of the plurality of mold level samples for the selected time instance with the predefined set point of the mold level.

3. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit (105) determines the delta MSD for the selected time instance by computing a difference between the first MSD and the second MSD.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit (105) detects bleeding of the molten metal when the delta MSD is greater than or equal to the predefined deviation threshold.
5. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the predefined deviation threshold is pre-set based on historical data, wherein the historical data comprises information related to previously occurred bleeds of the molten metal.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit (105) selects the preceding time instance for determining the delta MSD based on a predefined delta interval.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit (105) is further associated with an indication unit (107) to indicate bleeding of the molten metal.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the control unit (105) is further configured to initiate a remedial action to rectify bleeding of the molten metal in the mold (101).

9. The system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the remedial action comprises:
determining a deceleration rate and an optimal recovery time based on a predefined casting speed; and
decelerating current casting speed at the determined deceleration rate to attain the predefined casting speed.
10. A method of detecting bleeding of molten metal in a mold (101) during continuous casting process, the method comprising:
receiving, by a control unit (105), input data (207) comprising a plurality of mold level samples for a selected time instance, from a level detection module (103) associated with the control unit (105), in real-time;
determining, by the control unit (105), a first mold level difference for each of the plurality of mold level samples based on a predefined set point of the mold level;
determining, by the control unit (105), a first Moving Standard Deviation (MSD) of the first mold level difference of each of the plurality of mold level samples, for a predefined time interval;
determining, by the control unit (105), a delta MSD based on the first MSD of the mold level difference determined for the selected time instance and a second MSD of a second mold level difference determined for a preceding time instance of the selected time instance; and
comparing, by the control unit (105), the delta MSD with a predefined deviation threshold to detect bleeding of the molten metal in the mold (101) in real-time.
11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the first mold level difference is determined by computing a difference of each of the plurality of mold level samples for the selected time instance with the predefined set point of the mold level.

12. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the delta MSD for the selected time instance is determined by computing a difference between the first MSD and the second MSD.

13. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein bleeding of the molten metal is detected when the delta MSD is greater than or equal to the predefined deviation threshold.

14. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the predefined deviation threshold is pre-set based on historical data, wherein the historical data comprises information related to previously occurred bleeds of the molten metal.

15. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the preceding time instance for determining the delta MSD is selected based on a predefined delta interval.

16. The method as claimed in claim 10 further comprises indicating, by the control unit (105), bleeding of the molten metal through an indication unit (107) associated with the control unit (105).

17. The method as claimed in claim 10 further comprises initiating, by the control unit (105), a remedial action to rectify bleeding of the molten metal in the mold (101).

18. The method as claimed in claim 17, wherein the remedial action comprises:
determining, by the control unit (105), a deceleration rate and an optimal recovery time based on a predefined casting speed; and
decelerating, by the control unit (105), current casting speed at the determined deceleration rate to attain the predefined casting speed.
, Description:TECHNICAL FIELD
The present subject matter relates generally to a field of metallurgy. Particularly, but not exclusively the disclosure relates to a continuous casting process. Embodiments of the disclosure disclose a system and a method for detecting bleeding of molten metal in a mold during continuous casting process.
BACKGROUND
Continuous casting process is a metallurgical process involving continuous supply of a liquid metal, also referred to as a molten metal, into a mold. The molten metal may be solidified into a semi-finished shape. The continuous casting process is a critical link in steel making, that produces a steel slab, billet or bloom as a result. In the continuous casting process, liquid steel is continuously fed into a mold, which may be rectangular or square in shape. The walls of the mold may be cooled by continuously supplying a coolant such as water. When the liquid steel is discharged into the mold, the liquid steel that comes in contact with a lubricant along the mold wall solidifies to form a solid shell, while rest of the liquid steel may remain in liquid or semi-liquid state, finally solidifying to form a steel slab. The steel slab may be continuously extracted from the mold in a downward direction and may be directly subject to secondary cooling of the steel slab using water sprays, air sprays and the like installed below the mold.
However, during the continuous casting process the solid shell of the steel slab may break due to underdevelopment of the solid shell caused by multiple factors. Due to the underdevelopment or weakening of the solid shell in the mold, the shell may not be able to sustain ferro static pressure, thereby resulting in bleeding of liquid steel . Such bleeding of the liquid steel may lead to extreme loss of productivity, time, money and resources. The bleeding of the liquid steel may further damage mold assembly and the cooling equipment installed in continuous casting unit. Therefore, detecting bleeding of the liquid steel from the solid shell to take necessary rectifying actions is of utmost importance in the continuous casting process.
With on-going efforts, many techniques have been proposed to detect bleeding of the liquid steel during the continuous casting process. The existing techniques may include methods for detecting onset of a breakout based on mold thermocouple temperature signals and other casting process signals. Few other existing techniques include detecting onset of the breakout based on local heat flux calculations. However, the abovementioned parameters such as mold thermocouple temperature signals, casting process signals and local heat flux calculations may detect only the breakouts that occur due to sticking phenomenon or the breakouts that occur due to longitudinal cracks in the solid shell. Therefore, by implementing the existing techniques, breakout detection may be limited only for certain type of breakout factors, thereby making the breakout detection less reliable. Further, detecting breakout based on numerous variable parameters may not only be time consuming, but may also involve complex processing.
The existing techniques do not provide a mechanism to detect bleeding of liquid steel from solid shell, which is reliable with respect to wide range of factors that cause bleeding of the liquid steel.
The present disclosure is directed to overcome one or more limitations stated above or any other limitation associated with the conventional arts.
The information disclosed in this background of the disclosure section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the disclosure and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.
SUMMARY
One or more shortcomings of the prior art may be overcome, and additional advantages may be provided through the present disclosure. Additional features and advantages may be realized through the techniques of the present disclosure. Other embodiments and aspects of the disclosure are described in detail herein and are considered a part of the claimed disclosure.

In one non-limiting embodiment of the disclosure, a system for detecting bleeding of molten metal in a mold during continuous casting process is disclosed. The system comprises a level detection module configured to measure mold level corresponding to the molten metal in the mold. Further, the system comprises a control unit associated with the level detection module, configured to receive input data comprising a plurality of mold level samples for a selected time instance, from the level detection module in real-time. Further, the control unit determines a first mold level difference for each of the plurality of mold level samples based on a predefined set point of the mold level. Upon determining the first mold level difference, the control unit may determine a first Moving Standard Deviation (MSD) of the first mold level difference of each of the plurality of mold level samples, for a predefined time interval. Further, the control unit determines a delta MSD based on the first MSD of the mold level difference determined for the selected time instance and a second MSD of a second mold level difference determined for a preceding time instance of the selected time instance. Finally, the control unit compares the delta MSD with a predefined deviation threshold to detect bleeding of the molten metal in the mold in real-time.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the control unit determines the first mold level difference by computing a difference of each of the plurality of mold level samples for the selected time instance with the predefined set point of the mold level.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the control unit determines the delta MSD for the selected time instance by computing a difference between the first MSD and the second MSD.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the control unit detects bleeding of the molten metal when the delta MSD is greater than or equal to the predefined deviation threshold.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the predefined deviation threshold is pre-set based on historical data that includes information related to previously occurred bleeds of the molten metal.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the control unit selects the preceding time instance for determining the delta MSD based on a predefined delta interval.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the control unit is further associated with an indication unit to indicate bleeding of the molten metal.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the control unit is further configured to initiate a remedial action to rectify bleeding of the molten metal in the mold.
In an embodiment of the disclosure, the remedial action includes determining a deceleration rate and an optimal recovery time based on a predefined casting speed. Further, the decelerating current casting speed at the determined deceleration rate to attain the predefined casting speed.
In another non-limiting embodiment of the disclosure, a method of detecting bleeding of molten metal in a mold during continuous casting process is disclosed. The method includes receiving, by a control unit, input data comprising a plurality of mold level samples for a selected time instance, from a level detection module associated with the control unit, in real-time. Further, the method includes determining a first mold level difference for each of the plurality of mold level samples based on a predefined set point of the mold level. Upon determining the first mold difference, the method includes determining a first Moving Standard Deviation (MSD) of the first mold level difference of each of the plurality of mold level samples, for a predefined time interval. Further, the method includes determining a delta MSD based on the first MSD of the mold level difference determined for the selected time instance and a second MSD of a second mold level difference determined for a preceding time instance of the selected time instance. Finally, the method includes comparing the delta MSD with a predefined deviation threshold to detect bleeding of the molten metal in the mold in real-time.
The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative aspects, embodiments, and features described above, further aspects, embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DIAGRAMS

The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments and, together with the description, explain the disclosed principles. In the figures, the left-most digit(s) of a reference number identifies the figure in which the reference number first appears. The same numbers are used throughout the figures to reference like features and components. Some embodiments of system and/or methods in accordance with embodiments of the present subject matter are now described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:

FIG.1 shows an exemplary system for detecting bleeding of molten metal in a mold during continuous casting process in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG.2A shows a detailed block diagram of components of a system for detecting bleeding of molten metal in a mold during continuous casting process in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG.2B shows an exemplary time scale in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure;

FIG.3 is a flowchart illustrating a method of detecting bleeding of molten metal in a mold during continuous casting process in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure; and

FIG.4 is a block diagram of an exemplary computer system for implementing embodiments consistent with the present disclosure.
It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that any block diagrams herein represent conceptual views of illustrative systems embodying the principles of the present subject matter. Similarly, it will be appreciated that any flow charts, flow diagrams, state transition diagrams, pseudo code, and the like represent various processes which may be substantially represented in computer readable medium and executed by a computer or processor, whether such computer or processor is explicitly shown.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the present document, the word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any embodiment or implementation of the present subject matter described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments.
While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiment thereof has been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail below. It should be understood, however that it is not intended to limit the disclosure to the forms disclosed, but on the contrary, the disclosure is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternative falling within the scope of the disclosure.
The terms “comprises”, “comprising”, “includes” or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a setup, device or method that includes a list of components or steps does not include only those components or steps but may include other components or steps not expressly listed or inherent to such setup or device or method. In other words, one or more elements in a system or apparatus proceeded by “comprises… a” does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other elements or additional elements in the system or method.
Disclosed herein are a system and a method for detecting bleeding of molten metal in a mold during continuous casting process. In the present disclosure, bleeding generally means breakout of molten metal from a solid shell which is formed when the molten metal tapped into the mold comes in contact with a lubricating medium present along walls of the mold. Due to factors such as presence of a sticker, casting speed, mold thickness and the like, the solid shell may be underdeveloped. When underdeveloped solid shell exits the mold, ferro static pressure of the molten metal surrounded by the solid shell may lead to bleeding of the molten metal. Bleeding of such solid shell may lead to various challenges during the continuous casting process such as damage of mold assembly and the cooling equipment in the continuous casting unit, loss of productivity, time, money and resources. Detecting bleeding of the molten metal in the mold at early stages during the continuous casting process, may help in rectifying bleeding of the molten metal by performing rectifying actions such as reducing casting speed. In some embodiments, reducing the casting speed may allow the molten metal to occupy the mold for a longer duration, thus enabling strong and complete development of solid shell that can withstand the ferro static pressure.

Therefore, for detecting bleeding of molten metal in a mold during continuous casting process, the system disclosed in the present disclosure may comprise a level detection module to measure mold level corresponding to the molten metal in the mold. Further, the system may comprise a control unit associated with the level detection module that may receive input data comprising a plurality of mold level samples for a selected time instance, from the level detection module in real-time. In some embodiments, the system may determine a first mold level difference for each of the plurality of mold level samples for the selected time instance based on a predefined set point of the mold level. The system may determine a first Moving Standard Deviation (MSD) based on the plurality of mold level samples for the selected time instance. Further, the system may determine a second MSD based on plurality of mold level samples for a preceding time instance of the selected time instance. Subsequently, a delta MSD may be determined based on the first MSD and the second MSD, based on which the system may detect bleeding of the molten metal in the mold during the continuous casting process. Upon detecting bleeding of the molten metal, the system may indicate the bleeding of the molten metal through an indication unit associated with the control unit. Based on the indication, a remedial action may be initiated to rectify bleeding of the molten metal in the mold.
The present disclosure determines bleeding of the molten metal based on a single parameter i.e. mold level. Therefore, the complexity and time involved in capturing the input data and processing the input data reduces. Further, mold level is a critical yet generic parameter which provides the flexibility of determining bleeding of the molten metal for wide range of factors as opposed to the existing techniques, which are specific only to factors such as breakouts caused due to sticker formation in the mold and breakouts occurring due to longitudinal cracks in the solid shell. Due to the flexibility of determining bleeding of the molten metal for wide range of factors, the present disclosure is highly reliable for handling bleeding related scenarios during continuous casting.

A description of an embodiment with several components in communication with each other does not imply that all such components are required. On the contrary a variety of optional components are described to illustrate the wide variety of possible embodiments of the invention.

In the following detailed description of the embodiments of the disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and in which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments in which the disclosure may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense.

FIG.1 shows an exemplary system for detecting bleeding of molten metal in a mold during continuous casting process in accordance with embodiments of the present disclosure.

The system 100 includes a mold 101, a level detection module 103, a control unit 105 and an indication unit 107. The present disclosure may be described in accordance with a continuous casting process of a steel slab. However, this should not be construed as a limitation to the present disclosure, since the present disclosure may be applicable to continuous casting process of metals or alloys other than steel.

The mold 101 may be a solid structure that allows flow of a molten metal tapped into the mold 101. As an example, the molten metal may be liquid steel which may be continuously tapped into the mold 101, to form a steel slab. As an example, the mold 101 may be rectangular or square in shape defining a mold cavity in an inner surface. The mold 101 may be configured with a cooling arrangement on an outer surface. A coolant like water may be continuously circulated through the cooling arrangement to cool the inner surface of the mold 101. In an embodiment, the mold 101 may be a water-cooled funnel mold. The temperature difference between the inner surface of the mold 101 and the molten metal results in solidification of at least an outer layer of the molten metal which is in contact with the mold 101.

In some embodiments, the level detection module 103 may measure mold level corresponding to the molten metal in the mold 101. In one embodiment, the level detection module 103 may include, but not limited to, one or more sensors to detect the mold level. As an example, the one or more sensors may include, but not limited to, electromagnetic mold level sensor, radiometric mold level sensor, laser mold level sensor, camera based mold level sensor and eddy-current mold level sensor. In another embodiment, the level detection module 103 may use any other traditional method in the art for measuring the mold level. Further, the level detection module 103 may be associated with the control unit 105 via a communication network (not shown in the FIG.1). As an example, the communication network may be at least one of a wired communication network and a wireless communication network. In some embodiments, the control unit 105 may be configured in a remote location. In some other embodiments, the control unit 105 may be locally configured. The control unit 105 may be associated with an Input/Output (I/O) interface 109 and a memory 111 as shown in the FIG.1. In some embodiments, the I/O interface 109 and the memory 111 may be present within the control unit 105. The I/O interface 109 may receive input data for a selected time instance, from the level detection module 103 in real-time. In some embodiments, the input data may include, but not limited to, a plurality of mold level samples for the selected time instance. As an example, sampling rate of the mold level may be minimum 20 samples per second, and preferably 100 samples per second.
Further, the control unit 105 may determine a first Moving Standard Deviation (MSD) based on the plurality of mold level samples for the selected time instance. Furthermore, the control unit 105 may determine a second MSD based on plurality of mold level samples for a preceding time instance of the selected time instance. Subsequently, the control unit 105 may determine a delta MSD based on the first MSD and the second MSD. In some embodiments, the delta MSD indicates deviation between the First MSD and the second MSD. Upon determining the delta MSD, the control unit 105 may compare the delta MSD with a predefined deviation threshold. When the delta MSD is determined to be greater than or equal to a predefined deviation threshold, the control unit 105 may detect bleeding of the molten metal in the mold 101 during the continuous casting process.
As shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 105 may be associated with the indication unit 107 through the communication network. In an embodiment, the indication unit 107 may provide a visual indication. As an example, the indication unit 107 may be a computer, a laptop, a tablet, a desktop, a device arranged with Light Emitting Diodes (LED) and the like. In another embodiment, the indication unit 107 may be a sound indication. As an example, the indication unit 107 for sound indication may be an alarm, a bell and the like. In an embodiment, upon detecting bleeding of the molten metal, the control unit 105 may indicate bleeding of the molten metal through the indication unit 107. Based on the indication, the control unit 105 may initiate a remedial action to rectify bleeding of the molten metal in the mold 101. In some embodiments, the remedial action may include, but not limited to, decelerating casting speed to a predefined casting speed.
FIG.2A shows a detailed block diagram of components of a system 100 for detecting bleeding of molten metal in a mold during continuous casting process in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
In some implementations, the control unit 105 may include data 203 and modules 205 related to the system 100. As an example, the data 203 is stored in a memory 111 associated with the control unit 105. In some embodiments, the data 203 may include input data 207, standard deviation data 209, rectification data 211 and other data 213. In the illustrated FIG.2A, modules 205 are described herein in detail.

In some embodiments, the data 203 may be stored in the memory 111 in form of various data structures. Additionally, the data 203 can be organized using data models, such as relational or hierarchical data models. The other data 213 may be stored data, including temporary data and temporary files, generated by the modules 205 for performing the various functions of the control unit 105.
In some embodiments, the data 203 stored in the memory 111 may be processed by the modules 205 of the control unit 105. The modules 205 may be stored within the memory 111. In an example, the modules 205 communicatively coupled to the control unit 105 may also be present outside the memory 111 as shown in FIG.2A and implemented as hardware. As used herein, the term modules 205 may refer to an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), an electronic circuit, a processor (shared, dedicated, or group) and memory that execute one or more software or firmware programs, a combinational logic circuit, and/or other suitable components that provide the described functionality.
In some embodiments, the modules 205 may include, for example, a receiving module 221, a deviation determining module 223, a rectifying module 225 and other modules 227. The other modules 227 may be used to perform various miscellaneous functionalities of the control unit 105. It will be appreciated that such aforementioned modules 205 may be represented as a single module or a combination of different modules.
In some embodiments, the receiving module 221 may receive input data 207 from a level detection module 103 associated with the control unit 105, in real-time. The level detection module 103 may determine mold level corresponding to the molten metal in the mold 101. In some embodiments, the input data 207 may include, but not limited to, a plurality of mold level samples for a selected time instance. As an example, sampling rate of the mold level may be minimum 20 samples per second.
In some embodiments, the deviation determining module 223 may initially determine a first mold level difference for each of the plurality of mold level samples received for the selected time instance. In some embodiments, the deviation determining module 223 may determine the first mold level difference based on predefined set point of the mold level. In some embodiments, the predefined set point may be a reference mold level based on which the molten metal may be tapped into the mold 101. The deviation determining module 223 may determine the first mold level difference by computing a difference of each of the plurality of mold level samples for the selected time instance with the predefined set point of the mold level. In some embodiments, mold level difference may be determined using the below Equation 1.
Mlev = Original mold level – Predefined set point ------ Equation 1
In the above Equation 1, Mlev indicates mold level difference.
Using the above Equation 1, the deviation determining module 223 may determine the first mold level difference for each of the plurality of mold level samples for the selected time instance “t” as shown below:
Mlev (t) = Original mold level – Predefined set point
Where,
Mlev (t) indicates the first mold level difference for the selected time instance “t”; and
Original mold level may be the mold level measured at the selected time instance time t.

In some embodiments, value determined for the first mold level difference may indicate variation in the actual mold level for the selected time instance when compared to the predefined set point. As an example, consider the predefined set point indicates reference level of the molten metal as 10 units. Upon pouring molten metal into the mold 101, consider the original mold level at that time instance is 8 units. Therefore, the deviation determining module 223 may determine variation in mold level as 2 units from the predefined set point.
Further, the deviation determining module 223 may determine a first Moving Standard Deviation (MSD) of the first mold level difference of each of the plurality of mold level samples. In some embodiments, the deviation determining module 223 may determine the first MSD for a predefined time interval. In some embodiments, the deviation determining module 223 may use any existing technique in the art for determining the first MSD. The first MSD may indicate overall deviation of the first mold level difference for the predefined time interval. The predefined time interval may be considered from the selected time instance. As an example, if the selected time instance is “t” and the predefined time interval is “tstd”, then the predefined time interval may span from “t-tstd to t” as shown in FIG.2B. Further, as an example, in FIG.2B, the selected time instance “t” is 15 sec, and the predefined time interval “tstd” is 5 sec. Therefore, the span of the predefined time interval (t-tstd to t) is from 10 sec to 15 sec i.e. a window of 5 sec as shown in the FIG.2B. The first MSD thus determined for the predefined time interval may be stored as the standard deviation data 209.
Similarly, the deviation determining module 223 may determine a second mold level difference for each of a plurality of mold level samples received from the level detection module 103 for a preceding time instance of the selected time instance. In some embodiments, the deviation determining module 223 may select the preceding time instance based on a predefined delta interval. Referring to FIG.2B, as an example, consider the selected time instance “t” is 15 sec and the predefined delta interval “ti” is 2 sec as shown in the FIG.2B. Therefore, the preceding time instance of the selected time instance may be “t-ti” as an example 13 sec as shown in the FIG.2B.
In some embodiments, the deviation determining module 223 may determine the second mold level difference for the plurality of mold level samples received for the preceding time instance using the above Equation 1.
Mlev (t-ti) = Original mold level – Predefined set point
Where,
Mlev (t-ti) indicates second mold level difference for the preceding time instance “t-ti”; and
Original mold level may be the mold level measured at the preceding time instance t-ti.

Further, the deviation determining module 223 may also determine a second MSD of the second mold level difference of each of the plurality of mold level samples. In some embodiments, the deviation determining module 223 may determine the second MSD for the predefined time interval. In some embodiments, the deviation determining module 223 may use any existing technique in the art for determining the second MSD as used for determining the first MSD. The second MSD thus determined may be stored as the standard deviation data 209.
The deviation determining module 223 may also be configured to determine a delta MSD based on the first MSD of the mold level difference determined for the selected time instance and the second MSD of the second mold level difference determined for the preceding time instance. In some embodiments, the deviation determining module 223 may determine the delta MSD using the below Equation 2.
dmsd = Mstd(Mlev(t)) - Mstd(Mlev(t-ti)) -------------- Equation 2
In the above Equation 2,
dmsd indicates the delta MSD;
Mstd(Mlev(t)) indicates first MSD of the first mold level difference of each of the plurality of samples received for the selected time instance t; and
Mstd(Mlev(t-ti)) indicates second MSD of the second mold level difference of each of the plurality of samples received for the preceding time instance t-ti.
In some embodiments, the delta MSD indicates deviation between the first MSD and the second MSD. The delta MSD thus determined may also be stored as part of the standard deviation data 209. Upon determining the delta MSD, the deviation determining module 223 may compare the delta MSD with a predefined deviation threshold. As an example, the predefined deviation threshold may be pre-set based on historical data. In some embodiments, the historical data may include, but not limited to, information related to previously occurred bleeds of the molten metal. When the delta MSD is determined to be greater than or equal to the predefined deviation threshold, the deviation determining module 223 may detect bleeding of the molten metal in the mold 101 in real-time. Further, the deviation determining module 223 may trigger an indication unit 107 associated with the control unit 105. In an embodiment, the indication unit 107 may provide a visual indication
In some embodiments, the indication unit 107 may indicate bleeding of the molten metal. In an embodiment, the indication unit 107 may provide a visual indication. As an example, the indication unit 107 may be a computer, a laptop, a tablet, a desktop, a device arranged with Light Emitting Diodes (LED) and the like. In another embodiment, the indication unit 107 may provide a sound indication. As an example, the indication unit 107 for the sound indication may be an alarm, a bell and the like.
Further, in some embodiments, the rectifying module 225 may initiate a remedial action to rectify bleeding of the molten metal in the mold 101. In an embodiment, the remedial action may include reducing casting speed such that the molten metal may get sufficient time to stay in the mold 101, thereby resulting in formation of a thick shell. In some embodiments, to reduce the casting speed, the rectifying module 225 may initially determine a deceleration rate and an optimal recovery time based on a predefined casting speed. The deceleration rate may provide rate at which current casting speed needs to be decelerated to attain the predefined casting speed. The optimal recovery time may provide time for which the molten metal needs to be tapped in the mold 101 to form a thick shell. In some embodiments, the predefined casting speed may be pre-set based on the historical data.
Further, in some embodiments, the rectifying module 225 may determine the deceleration rate based on the predefined casting speed and the historical data. Further, the rectifying module 225 may determine the optimal recovery time based on the following Equations as shown below:
Initially, the rectifying module 225 may determine time required to reach the predefined casting speed using the below Equation 3.
Ts = (CCS – PCS) / (60* DR) ---------- Equation 3
In the above Equation 3,
Ts indicates time required to reach the predefined casting speed;
CCS indicates current casting speed;
PCS indicates predefined casting speed i.e. final speed to be attained; and
DR indicates deceleration rate.

Upon determining the time required to reach the predefined casting speed, the rectifying module 225 may determine distance travelled by meniscus of the molten metal in the mold 101. In some embodiments, the rectifying module 225 may determine the distance travelled by the meniscus using the below Equation 4.
Dm = CCS * Ts + 0.5* DR *(Ts)^2 ------------------ Equation 4
In the above Equation 4,
Dm indicates distance travelled by the meniscus of the molten metal;
CCS indicates current casting speed;
DR indicates deceleration rate; and
Ts indicates time required to reach the predefined casting speed.

Upon determining the distance to be travelled by the meniscus of the molten metal, the rectifying module 225 may determine remaining distance to be travelled by the molten metal in the mold 101 using the below Equation 5.
Dr = EL – Dm --------------- Equation 5
In the above Equation 5,
Dr indicates remaining distance to be travelled by the molten metal;
EL indicates effective length of the mold 101; and
Dm indicates distance travelled by the meniscus of the molten metal.

Upon determining the remaining distance to be travelled by the molten metal, the rectifying module 225 may determine the optimal recovery time using the below Equation 6.
Tor = (Dr *10^-3/PCS)*60 -------- Equation 6
In the above Equation 6,
Tor indicates the optimal recovery time;
Dr indicates remaining distance to be travelled by the molten metal; and
PCS indicates predefined casting speed i.e. final speed to be attained.

Based on determination of optimal recovery time and the deceleration rate, the rectifying module 225 may decelerate the current casting speed at the determined deceleration rate to attain the predefined casting speed. By decelerating the current speed at the determined deceleration rate the rectifying module 225 may ensure that the molten metal is allowed to stay in the mold 101 for at least the optimal recovery time, thereby resulting in proper solidification of the molten metal and formation of the thick shell. In some embodiments, the deceleration rate and the optimal recovery time determined by the rectifying module 225 may be stored as the rectification data 211. Further, the historical data may also be updated with information related to detected bleeding in the mold 101.
FIG.3 shows a flowchart illustrating a method of detecting bleeding of molten metal in a mold during continuous casting process in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
As illustrated in FIG.3, the method 300 comprises one or more blocks illustrating a method of detecting bleeding of molten metal in a mold 101 during continuous casting process. The method 300 may be described in the general context of computer-executable instructions. Generally, computer-executable instructions can include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, procedures, modules, and functions, which perform functions or implement abstract data types.

The order in which the method 300 is described is not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of the described method blocks can be combined in any order to implement the method 300. Additionally, individual blocks may be deleted from the methods without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein. Furthermore, the method 300 can be implemented in any suitable hardware, software, firmware, or combination thereof.

At block 301, the method 300 may include receiving, by a control unit 105, input data 207 from the level detection module 103 in real-time. In some embodiments, the input data 207 may include, but not limited to, a plurality of mold level samples for a selected time instance.

At block 303, the method 300 may include determining, by the control unit 105, a first mold level difference for each of the plurality of mold level samples based on a predefined set point of the mold level. In some embodiments, the control unit 105 may determine the first mold level difference by computing a difference of each of the plurality of mold level samples for the selected time instance with the predefined set point of the mold level.
At block 305, the method 300 may include determining, by the control unit 105, a first Moving Standard Deviation (MSD) of the mold level difference of each of the plurality of mold level samples, for a predefined time interval.
At block 307, the method 300 may include determining, by the control unit 105, a delta MSD based on the first MSD of the mold level difference determined for the selected time instance and a second MSD of a second mold level difference determined for a preceding time instance of the selected time instance. In some embodiments, the preceding time instance for determining the delta MSD is selected based on a predefined delta interval.
At block 309, the method 300 may include comparing, by the control unit 105, the delta MSD with a predefined deviation threshold to detect bleeding of the molten metal in the mold 101 in real-time. In some embodiments, when the delta MSD is greater than or equal to the predefined deviation threshold, the control unit 105 detects bleeding of the molten metal in the mold 101 and subsequently triggers an indication unit 107 associated with the control unit 105 to indicate bleeding of the molten metal in the mold 101. Further, the control unit 105 may initiate a remedial action to rectify bleeding of the molten metal in the mold 101.
FIG.4 is a block diagram of an exemplary computer system for implementing embodiments consistent with the present disclosure.
In some embodiments, FIG.4 illustrates a block diagram of an exemplary computer system 400 for implementing embodiments consistent with the present disclosure. In some embodiments, the computer system 400 can be a server that comprises a control unit 107 (also referred as a processor 402 in this FIG.4) that is used for detecting bleeding of molten metal in a mold 101 during continuous casting process. The processor 402 may include at least one data processor for executing program components for executing user or system-generated business processes. The processor 402 may include specialized processing units such as integrated system (bus) controllers, memory management control units, floating point units, graphics processing units, digital signal processing units, etc.
The processor 402 may be disposed in communication with input devices 411 and output devices 412 via I/O interface 401. The I/O interface 401 may employ communication protocols/methods such as, without limitation, audio, analog, digital, stereo, IEEE-1394, serial bus, Universal Serial Bus (USB), infrared, PS/2, BNC, coaxial, component, composite, Digital Visual Interface (DVI), high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI), Radio Frequency (RF) antennas, S-Video, Video Graphics Array (VGA), IEEE 802.n /b/g/n/x, Bluetooth, cellular (e.g., Code-Division Multiple Access (CDMA), High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA+), Global System For Mobile Communications (GSM), Long-Term Evolution (LTE), WiMax, or the like), etc.
Using the I/O interface 401, computer system 400 may communicate with input devices 411 and output devices 412.
In some embodiments, the processor 402 may be disposed in communication with a communication network 409 via a network interface 403. The network interface 403 may communicate with the communication network 409. The network interface 403 may employ connection protocols including, without limitation, direct connect, Ethernet (e.g., twisted pair 10/100/1000 Base T), Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), token ring, IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/x, etc. Using the network interface 403 and the communication network 409, the computer system 400 may communicate with a level detection module 103 and an indication unit 107. The communication network 409 can be implemented as one of the different types of networks, such as intranet or Local Area Network (LAN) and such within the organization. The communication network 409 may either be a dedicated network or a shared network, which represents an association of the different types of networks that use a variety of protocols, for example, Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP), Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), Wireless Application Protocol (WAP), etc., to communicate with each other. Further, the communication network 409 may include a variety of network devices, including routers, bridges, servers, computing devices, storage devices, etc. In some embodiments, the processor 402 may be disposed in communication with a memory 405 (e.g., RAM, ROM, etc. not shown in FIG.4) via a storage interface 404. The storage interface 404 may connect to memory 405 including, without limitation, memory drives, removable disc drives, etc., employing connection protocols such as Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (SATA), Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE), IEEE-1394, Universal Serial Bus (USB), fibre channel, Small Computer Systems Interface (SCSI), etc. The memory drives may further include a drum, magnetic disc drive, magneto-optical drive, optical drive, Redundant Array of Independent Discs (RAID), solid-state memory devices, solid-state drives, etc.
The memory 405 may store a collection of program or database components, including, without limitation, a user interface 406, an operating system 407, a web browser 408 etc. In some embodiments, the computer system 400 may store user/application data, such as the data, variables, records, etc. as described in this invention. Such databases may be implemented as fault-tolerant, relational, scalable, secure databases such as Oracle or Sybase.
Operating system 407 may facilitate resource management and operation of computer system 400. Examples of operating systems include, without limitation, APPLE® MACINTOSH® OS X®, UNIX®, UNIX-like system distributions (E.G., BERKELEY SOFTWARE DISTRIBUTION® (BSD), FREEBSD®, NETBSD®, OPENBSD, etc.), LINUX® DISTRIBUTIONS (E.G., RED HAT®, UBUNTU®, KUBUNTU®, etc.), IBM®OS/2®, MICROSOFT® WINDOWS® (XP®, VISTA®/7/8, 10 etc.), APPLE® IOS®, GOOGLETM ANDROIDTM, BLACKBERRY® OS, or the like. User interface 406 may facilitate display, execution, interaction, manipulation, or operation of program components through textual or graphical facilities. For example, user interfaces may provide computer interaction interface elements on a display system operatively connected to computer system 400, such as cursors, icons, check boxes, menus, scrollers, windows, widgets, etc. Graphical User Interfaces (GUIs) may be employed, including, without limitation, Apple® Macintosh® operating systems’ Aqua®, IBM® OS/2®, Microsoft® Windows® (e.g., Aero, Metro, etc.), web interface libraries (e.g., ActiveX®, Java®, Javascript®, AJAX, HTML, Adobe® Flash®, etc.), or the like.
Computer system 400 may implement web browser 408 stored program components. Web browser 408 may be a hypertext viewing application, such as MICROSOFT® INTERNET EXPLORER®, GOOGLETM CHROMETM, MOZILLA® FIREFOX®, APPLE® SAFARI®, etc. Secure web browsing may be provided using Secure Hypertext Transport Protocol (HTTPS), Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), Transport Layer Security (TLS), etc. Web browsers 408 may utilize facilities such as AJAX, DHTML, ADOBE® FLASH®, JAVASCRIPT®, JAVA®, Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), etc. Computer system 400 may implement a mail server stored program component. The mail server may be an Internet mail server such as Microsoft Exchange, or the like. The mail server may utilize facilities such as ASP, ACTIVEX®, ANSI® C++/C#, MICROSOFT®,. NET, CGI SCRIPTS, JAVA®, JAVASCRIPT®, PERL®, PHP, PYTHON®, WEBOBJECTS®, etc. The mail server may utilize communication protocols such as Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP), Messaging Application Programming Interface (MAPI), MICROSOFT® exchange, Post Office Protocol (POP), Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP), or the like. In some embodiments, the computer system 400 may implement a mail client stored program component. The mail client may be a mail viewing application, such as APPLE® MAIL, MICROSOFT® ENTOURAGE®, MICROSOFT® OUTLOOK®, MOZILLA® THUNDERBIRD®, etc.
Furthermore, one or more computer-readable storage media may be utilized in implementing embodiments consistent with the present invention. A computer-readable storage medium refers to any type of physical memory on which information or data readable by a processor may be stored. Thus, a computer-readable storage medium may store instructions for execution by one or more processors, including instructions for causing the processor(s) to perform steps or stages consistent with the embodiments described herein. The term “computer-readable medium” should be understood to include tangible items and exclude carrier waves and transient signals, i.e., non-transitory. Examples include Random Access Memory (RAM), Read-Only Memory (ROM), volatile memory, non-volatile memory, hard drives, Compact Disc (CD) ROMs, Digital Video Disc (DVDs), flash drives, disks, and any other known physical storage media.
Equivalents:
A description of an embodiment with several components in communication with each other does not imply that all such components are required. On the contrary a variety of optional components are described to illustrate the wide variety of possible embodiments of the invention. When a single device or article is described herein, it will be apparent that more than one device/article (whether or not they cooperate) may be used in place of a single device/article. Similarly, where more than one device or article is described herein (whether or not they cooperate), it will be apparent that a single device/article may be used in place of the more than one device or article or a different number of devices/articles may be used instead of the shown number of devices or programs. The functionality and/or the features of a device may be alternatively embodied by one or more other devices which are not explicitly described as having such functionality/features. Thus, other embodiments of the invention need not include the device itself.

The specification has described a system and a method for detecting bleeding of molten metal in a mold during continuous casting process. The illustrated steps are set out to explain the exemplary embodiments shown, and it should be anticipated that on-going technological development will change the manner in which particular functions are performed. These examples are presented herein for purposes of illustration, and not limitation. Further, the boundaries of the functional building blocks have been arbitrarily defined herein for the convenience of the description. Alternative boundaries can be defined so long as the specified functions and relationships thereof are appropriately performed. Alternatives (including equivalents, extensions, variations, deviations, etc., of those described herein) will be apparent to persons skilled in the relevant art(s) based on the teachings contained herein. Such alternatives fall within the scope and spirit of the disclosed embodiments. Also, the words "comprising," "having," "containing," and "including," and other similar forms are intended to be equivalent in meaning and be open-ended in that an item or items following any one of these words is not meant to be an exhaustive listing of such item or items, or meant to be limited to only the listed item or items. It must also be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.
Finally, the language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and it may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter. It is therefore intended that the scope of the invention be limited not by this detailed description, but rather by any claims that issue on an application based here on. Accordingly, the embodiments of the present invention are intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the invention, which is set forth in the following claims.

Referral numerals

Reference Number Description
100 System
101 Mold
103 Level detection module
105 Control unit
107 Indication unit
109 I/O interface
111 Memory
203 Data
205 Modules
207 Input data
209 Standard deviation data
211 Rectification data
213 Other data
221 Receiving module
223 Deviation determining module
225 Rectifying module
227 Other modules
400 Exemplary computer system
401 I/O Interface of the exemplary computer system
402 Processor of the exemplary computer system
403 Network interface
404 Storage interface
405 Memory of the exemplary computer system
406 User interface
407 Operating system
408 Web browser
409 Communication network
411 Input devices
412 Output devices