Experimental observations and modelling of thermal history within a steel plate during water jet impingement

In order to investigate heat transfer of steel plates under a water jet impingement and to further simulate runout table operation in a hot strip mill, a full-scale pilot runout table facility was designed and constructed at the University of British Columbia (UBC). This paper describes the experimental details, data acquisition and data handling techniques for steel plates during water jet impingement by one circular water jet from an industrial header. Recorded visual observations at the impinging surface were obtained. The effects of cooling water temperature and impingement velocity on the heat transfer from a steel plate were studied. A two-dimensional finite element method-based transient inverse heat conduction model was developed. With the help of the model, heat fluxes and heat transfer coefficients along the impinging surface under various cooling conditions were calculated. The microstructural evolution of the steel plate was also investigated for the varying cooling conditions. Samples were obtained from each plate, polished, etched and then photographed. (author)