ACMOD-2D—A heat transfer model for the simulation of the cooling of wire rod

To describe the heat transfer in the air-cooling (“AC”) line of wire rolling mills (Stelmor), a model (“MOD”) is developed which takes account of the relevant influencing variables. The packing density of the wire loops on the conveyor is particularly significant for the cooling of the wire rod. In this context, an analysis of the three-dimensional structure of the wire loops is performed, revealing the geometrical dependencies in the form of a continuous description of the distribution of the wire mass on the conveyor as a function of the technological parameters. This forms the basis for the modelling of the heat transfer processes on the conveyor. Consideration is given to the various heat transfer mechanisms – such as radiation and free and forced convection – as a function of the construction of the various conveyor sections and the thermal conduction in the wire. To calculate the two-dimensional (“2D”) temperature distribution over the length and the width of the conveyor, a computer code called ACMOD-2D has been developed from the described model using the computer language C++.