Influence of Nozzle Structure on Ultra-Wide Aluminum Cast-Rolling and Its Optimum Design by Numerical Simulation

This study investigates the impact of nozzle cavity structure on the flow and thermal field of aluminum melt to enhance casting nozzle design. FLUENT was used to perform numerical simulations on an ultra-wide 8021 aluminum alloy Hunter-type nozzle. The findings reveal that the tertiary flow distribution method exhibits a more dispersed flow, larger vortices, and greater temperature changes, particularly from the center to the edge of the nozzle, compared with the secondary flow distribution method. Consequently, optimizing the two-stage flow distribution significantly reduces velocity and temperature fluctuations in the aluminum melt at the nozzle cavity exit. This optimization enhances both the thermal field and uniformity of the melt flow, confirming the feasibility of the improved nozzle structure design.