Increasing the soaking zone temperature in a walking-beam furnace serves as a direct lever to elevate the core temperature of a Titanium/Steel clad plate. Data from numerical simulations reveals a highly efficient thermal transfer ratio: for every 5°C increase in the soaking zone's ambient temperature, the plate's center temperature rises by an average of 4.5°C.
Increasing the soaking zone temperature effectively drives heat into the plate's core, but it introduces a delicate variable: while the core heats up, the temperature gap between the surface and the center may slightly widen, challenging the uniformity required for precision rolling.
The Mechanics of Thermal Transfer
Driving Core Temperature
The primary function of adjusting the soaking zone is to ensure the inner layers of the clad plate reach the necessary thermal state.
Unlike the preheating stage, where surface heating is rapid and gradients are high, the soaking zone focuses on penetrating the core. The data indicates that the core is highly responsive to changes in this specific zone's ambient temperature.
Achieving Thermal Equilibrium
The soaking zone is designed to provide a high-temperature environment with minimal fluctuations.
This stability allows the plate to reach internal thermal equilibrium, ensuring that the Titanium and Steel layers possess consistent plastic deformation capabilities. This consistency is a prerequisite for meeting high-precision rolling requirements downstream.
Understanding the Trade-offs
The Risk to Uniformity
While raising the temperature helps reach the target core heat faster, the primary reference notes a critical side effect: it may slightly increase the cross-sectional temperature difference.
Ideally, the soaking zone reduces the delta between the surface and the core. However, aggressively increasing the zone's temperature can push the surface temperature higher before the core has fully equalized, potentially reintroducing a thermal gradient.
Balancing Heating Speed vs. Quality
Optimization requires finding the "sweet spot" between how fast you heat the plate and how uniform the temperature remains.
If the temperature is too low, the core remains too cool for effective rolling; if raised too aggressively, the resulting temperature inequality across the cross-section could compromise the clad interface.
Making the Right Choice for Your Goal
To optimize the heating process curve, you must weigh the need for core temperature against the strict requirement for cross-sectional uniformity.
- If your primary focus is increasing rolling speed: You can raise the soaking zone temperature to rapidly bring the plate's core to the target rolling temperature, provided you monitor the cross-sectional gradient.
- If your primary focus is interface integrity and precision: Prioritize a moderate temperature increase combined with optimized residence time to ensure the surface and core temperatures are as close as possible.
precise thermal control in the soaking zone is the key to preventing stress damage while ensuring the plate is sufficiently malleable for processing.
Summary Table:
| Factor | Impact of 5°C Zone Increase | Goal in Soaking Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Core Temperature | Increases by ~4.5°C | Ensure sufficient malleability for rolling |
| Thermal Gradient | May slightly widen/increase | Minimize surface-to-center delta |
| Layer Consistency | Variable based on heat depth | Achieve uniform plastic deformation |
| Process Focus | High thermal transfer efficiency | Balance heating speed vs. interface quality |
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References
- Zhanrui Wang, Hui Yu. Numerical investigation on heating process of Ti/Steel composite plate in a walking-beam reheating furnace. DOI: 10.2298/tsci231108082w
This article is also based on technical information from Kintek Furnace Knowledge Base .
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