Continuous casting spray water performance monitoring and water control chemistry

A method of analyzing water in a continuous casting process and controlling chemical addition to the water, the method comprising:

• measuring, with a plurality of sensors, at least one characteristic of a water in a plurality of different locations of a water recycle system for a continuous casting process, the continuous casting process having a plurality of spray nozzles that spray water on a metal being cast, the water recycle system comprising at least a gravity settling tank, a filter, and a cooling tower;
• determining, with a processor using the measured at least one characteristic of the water from the plurality of sensors, a composite water quality value for the water in the water recycle system;
• and
• controlling addition of a chemical additive into the water in the water recycle system based on the determine composite water quality value.

A water analysis system for a continuous casting process, the system comprising:

• a continuous caster having a cooling zone comprising a plurality of spray nozzles configured to spray water on a metal being cast;
• a water recycle system comprises at least a gravity settling tank, a filter, and a cooling tower, wherein:
• the gravity settling tank is fluidly connected to the cooling zone of the continuous caster, the gravity settling tank being configured to receive water from the cooling zone of the continuous caster after the water contacts the metal being cast and gravity separate the received water to provide a gravity separated water stream;
• the filter is downstream of the gravity settling tank and is configured to receive the gravity separated water stream and filter the gravity separated water stream to provide a filtered water stream;
• and
• the cooling tower is downstream of the filter and is configured to receive the filtered water and reduce a temperature of the filtered water stream through evaporative cooling to provide cooling water that is supplied to the plurality of spray nozzles of the continuous caster;
• a plurality of sensors configured to measure at least one characteristic of a water sample subject to analysis, each of the plurality of sensors being fluidly connected at a different location in the water recycle system to measure the at least one characteristic of the water sample at each different location;
• a display;
• and
• one or more controllers configured to:
• receive data measured from each of the plurality of sensors indicative of the at least one characteristic of the water sample measured by each of the plurality of sensors;
• determine a composite water quality value based on the received data from each of the plurality of sensors;
• and
• control the display to display information indicative of the composite water quality value.