Study on Corrugated Tube Structure Within the Tempcore Process Based on Large Steel Bar Cooling Efficiency

As a key component of the Tempcore process, the Tempcore cooler plays a critical role in enhancing the cooling efficiency of steel bars. A cylindrical corrugated tube designed specifically for the Tempcore cooling process of large diameter steel bars, where the corrugated surface induces turbulence to enhance cooling efficiency. The influence of its structural parameters on the cooling performance was investigated through a combination of numerical simulations and experimental validation. First, based on the law of mass conservation, the influence of structural parameters of the corrugated tube on their internal flow field was analyzed. Then, a simulation model of the Tempcore cooler was developed to explore the variation in steel bar cooling efficiency under different structural parameters. The results show that increasing the maximum inner diameter of the corrugated tube enhances cooling efficiency, which subsequently tends to stabilize. With increasing minimum inner diameter and pitch, the cooling efficiency of the bars first increases and then decreases. And based on the influence of individual parameters, an orthogonal simulation was performed to identify the optimal corrugated tube structural configuration for achieving maximum cooling efficiency. The minimum inner diameter was identified as a critical factor influencing the heat transfer efficiency of the steel bar. Finally, based on the results of orthogonal simulations, five corrugated tubes were fabricated and integrated into the Tempcore cooler for experimental validation. The accuracy of the simulation was verified through microstructural analysis of the produced steel bars, which exhibited a 38% increase in martensite volume fraction. The designed corrugated tubes significantly improve the cooling efficiency of the Tempcore process without requiring an upgrade to the water supply system capacity.