The STEELTEMP® program comes in three main editions, edition 2D for flat and round products, using the finite-difference 2D technique, edition GR for flat, oval, flattened oval, diamond, square, round, false round and box products, using the finite-element 2D technique, and edition 3D for flat products, using the finite-element 3D technique.
Dr. Bo Leden (formerly employed by Swerea MEFOS, now retired) has been responsible for the development of the different editions of STEELTEMP® for more than thirty years. For more information contact john.niska@swerea.se or patrik.sidestam@swerea.se.
For information about the numerical solution of the Fourier's heat equation, used in STEELTEMP®, see IFE, Norway.
STEELTEMP® 2D
STEELTEMP® 2D is a program for temperature and heat-transfer analysis during casting, cooling, stripping, heating, rolling and forging. Temperatures and densities of heat flow rate are calculated in a cross section of the steel. Composite structures such as liquid steel in an ingot mould, a stock on a ceramic hearth, etc. may be analysed. In the reheating furnace models, the heating curve of the stocks and oxide scale formation can be calculated, either from specified furnace temperatures - the simple heating model - or from the geometrical and thermal description of the furnace, fuel and combustion air flow rates, etc., using the complex heating model or the dynamic heating model. Special software for calibration of the heating models in the FOCS furnace control systems has been implemented. Models for induction heating of stocks for rolling are available as well. Combustion calculations can also be performed using the program tools in STEELTEMP® 2D.
The mathematical furnace models are compatible to the on-line mathematical models used in the furnace optimization control system for reheating furnaces FOCS-RF. The STEELTEMP® programs can be implemented on PCs for Windows NT/2000/XP.
STEELTEMP® 2D has MS Excel-based interfaces STEELGEN® 2D, QUENCHTEMP and FORGETEMP for heating, rolling, quenching and forging, respectively. These interfaces are used for pre- and postprocessing of data in connection with temperature simulation with STEELTEMP® 2D. The interfaces use a number of spreadsheets in Excel where the user can enter process data and define the process conditions. The input generation is made in a user-friendly graphical environment. A number of program settings are automatically made in order to facilitate the input generation for the simulation. The input data given by the user is transformed into an input file by visual basic commands. This input file is used for STEELTEMP® 2D simulation. After running the simulation the results can be presented in diagrams and data tables with the interfaces. Further analysis of the results can be done with ordinary Excel functions.
More information: Scanheating_85 (1985), Scandinavian Journal (1986), Institute of Materials (2002).
STEELTEMP® GR
The user can construct a pass schedule for eight different geometries of the cross section of the bar. The program will then calculate the temperature distribution in the cross sections of the bar or wire during groove rolling, cooling and water spraying. STEELTEMP® GR has a user-friendly MS Excel-based interface RTD for pre- and postprocessing of data in connection with temperature simulation with STEELTEMP® GR.
STEELTEMP® 3D
In the reheating furnace models, the temperatures of the stocks can be calculated in three dimensions, either from specified furnace temperatures - the simple heating model - or from the geometrical and thermal description of the furnace, fuel and combustion air flow rates, etc., using the complex heating model or the dynamic heating model. Special software for calibration of the heating models in the FOCS furnace control system has been implemented. Non-uniform heating of stocks caused by radiation shadowing effects from the skid pipes, the contact between the wearer bars and the stocks, baffles in the furnace and end effects in the stocks can be analysed using STEELTEMP® 3D. In particular it is possible to determine;
- magnitudes of skid marks,
- head and tail end uniformity of stocks,
- cross-sectional uniformity of stocks.
More information: Revue de Metallurgie (1999).