Spray apparatus and method for cooling a metal strand in a continuous casting machine

Spray apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least a first pipeline and a second pipeline are provided for supplying spray liquid, wherein the first pipeline is connected to all the first nozzles and the second pipeline is connected to all the second nozzles.

Spray apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that n pipelines are provided, wherein the first pipeline is connected to all the first nozzles, the second pipeline is connected to all the second nozzles and possibly the third, fourth to nth pipeline is connected to all the third, fourth and/or nth nozzles, where n is a natural number and has a value between 2 and 10.

Spray apparatus according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the nozzles of at least one multiple-nozzle head differ to the extent where, at a predefined pressure of the spray liquid, they each discharge a different quantity of spray liquid.

Spray apparatus according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the nozzles of a multiple-nozzle head are coordinated with one another in respect of the spray-liquid quantity discharged such that the first nozzle, within a predefined pressure range between a low pressure and a high pressure of the spray liquid, discharges a spray-liquid quantity within a first quantity range, and that a second quantity range made up of the sum of the spray-liquid quantities discharged by the first nozzle and the second nozzle between the low pressure and the high pressure overlaps the first quantity range.

Spray apparatus according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the multiple-nozzle heads are spaced apart from one another in three dimensions along the pipelines.

Spray apparatus according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the pipelines run parallel to a casting direction of the continuous casting machine and the multiple-nozzle heads are arranged along the pipelines, one behind the other in the casting direction.

Spray apparatus according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the switching valves are designed in the form of compressed-air valves, and in that each switching valve is assigned a solenoid valve for enabling or shutting off a supply of compressed air to a respective switching valve.

Spray apparatus according to at least one of the preceding claims, characterized in that at least one of the pipelines is designed in the form of a profile with at least one hollow chamber which is continuous in the longitudinal direction of the profile.

Method for cooling a metal strand in a continuous casting machine by means of a spray apparatus according to at least one of the preceding claims, having the following steps:

• enabling a supply of spray liquid, and/or switching off a supply of spray liquid, to all the second nozzles and/or all the nth nozzles of the multiple-nozzle heads in dependence on a spray-liquid quantity required, wherein the operation of enabling and/or switching off the supply of spray liquid is carried out exclusively when the spray-liquid quantity required is altered.