Method and device for cooling and guiding a beam blank in a curved secondary cooling zone of a beam blank caster

Abstract

A device for cooling and guiding a beam blank in a curved secondary cooling zone of a beam blank caster includes an intrados web support roller with a cylindrical bearing surface that is interrupted by grooves. The grooves are designed so as to avoid an over-flow generating cooling water dam up behind the intrados web support roller by channeling sufficient cooling water underneath the intrados web support roller axially through the intrados channel of the beam blank. The cooling water overflow produces a quench of the intrados tips of the flanges, which results in transverse cracks of these tips during straightening of the beam blank.

1 - 9 . (canceled).  
   
   
       10 . A method for passing a beam blank through a curved secondary cooling zone of a beam blank caster, said beam blank comprising a web with an intrados face and an extrados face and two lateral flanges, said flanges delimiting an intrados channel and an extrados channel, said method comprising: 
 guiding said web with the help of intrados web support rollers bearing on said intrados web face in said intrados channel and extrados web support rollers bearing on said extrados web face in said extrados channel, so as to define a curved path for said beam blank, wherein at least one of said intrados web support rollers has a cylindrical bearing surface that guides said web over substantially the whole width of said intrados web face;    spraying cooling water onto said beam blank, whereby cooling water flows through said intrados channel; and    channelling a sufficient amount of said cooling water flowing through said intrados channel between said intrados web face and said cylindrical bearing surface, which guides said web over substantially the whole width of said intrados web face, by means of groove means arranged in said cylindrical bearing surface, in such a way to avoid an overflow generating cooling water dam up behind said at least one intrados web support roller.    
   
   
       11 . The method as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein said groove means comprises a helical groove in said cylindrical bearing surface.  
   
   
       12 . The method as claimed in  claim 11 , wherein said helical groove has chamfered or rounded edge surfaces as transition surfaces to said cylindrical bearing surface.  
   
   
       13 . The method as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein said groove means comprises a plurality of axially spaced ring-shaped grooves in said cylindrical bearing surface.  
   
   
       14 . The method as claimed in  claim 13 , wherein said ring-shaped grooves have chamfered or rounded edge surfaces as transition surfaces to said cylindrical bearing surface.  
   
   
       15 . A device for cooling and guiding a beam blank in a curved secondary cooling zone of a beam blank caster, said beam blank comprising a web with an intrados face and an extrados face and two lateral flanges, said flanges delimiting an intrados channel and an extrados channel, said device comprising: 
 spray means for spraying cooling water onto said beam blank;    at least one intrados web support roller bearing on said intrados web face in said intrados channel and having a cylindrical bearing surface guiding said web over substantially the whole width of said intrados web face; and    extrados web support rollers bearing on said extrados web face in said extrados channel; wherein:    said intrados web support rollers and said extrados web support rollers cooperate to define a curved path for said beam blank; and    said cylindrical bearing surface of said at least one intrados web support roller includes groove means designed so as to avoid an overflow generating cooling water dam up behind said intrados web support roller by channelling sufficient cooling water between said intrados web support roller and said intrados web face axially through said intrados channel.    
   
   
       16 . The device as claimed in  claim 15 , wherein said groove means comprises a helical groove in said cylindrical bearing surface.  
   
   
       17 . The device as claimed in  claim 16 , wherein said helical groove has chamfered or rounded edge surfaces as transition surfaces to said cylindrical bearing surface.  
   
   
       18 . The device as claimed in  claim 17 , wherein said groove means comprises a plurality of axially spaced ring-shaped grooves in said cylindrical bearing surface.  
   
   
       19 . The method as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein said ring-shaped grooves have chamfered or rounded edge surfaces as transition surfaces to said cylindrical bearing surface.