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Data-driven reduced order model for residence time distribution analysis of an industrial-scale continuous casting tundish

The continuous casting tundish plays a critical role as a metallurgical reactor in the continuous casting process, with its flow characteristics serving as a key parameter in the production of high-quality steel. These characteristics are typically assessed through residence time distribution (RTD) curves. This study examines the flow behaviour in a single-strand continuous casting tundish through a combination of numerical simulations and experimental validation. Steady-state full order model (FOM) simulations are performed under both isothermal and non-isothermal conditions to evaluate the influence of thermal buoyancy on the velocity field, which is found to be negligible. The resulting flow fields are used to initialize transient tracer transport simulations for determining the RTD and flow volume partitioning. Subsequently, a data-driven reduced order model (ROM) is developed to predict the RTD response. Comparison of RTD curves obtained from experiments, FOM, and ROM shows excellent agreement, with the ROM accurately capturing the key flow characteristics at a fraction of the computational cost. These results highlight the potential of ROM techniques for efficient real-time analysis, design, and optimization of tundish operations in metallurgical processes.