To improve billet quality and the trackability and stability of secondary cooling water during continuous casting, the superheat is introduced into the water distribution for secondary cooling to design the relevant control system, based on the water distribution model, superheat and fuzzy self-adaptive PID （process identity） . A spray cooling system is set up for simulation test in laboratory to test the step signal from the conventional, integral sepa rated and fuzzy self-adaptive PID controllers and the simulation casting. And the on-site test is done in some steel plant. The test results show that the fuzzy self-adaptive PID controller＇s performance is better than that of the other two controllers, which provides a basis for further study and application.
The effects of ultrasonic vibration on the grain size and morphology of Mg2Si in Mg-4 wt% Al-1 wt%Si（AS41） alloys designed were evaluated. The results show that the major constituents of the alloy include β-Mg17Al12 and Mg2Si phase, and no difference in the type of constituents between without ultrasonic vibration and with ultrasonic vibration. Without any ultrasonic vibration, the grain size and Mg2Si phase in AS41 alloy are coare structure. However, the microstructure with fine uniform grains and Mg2Si particles are achieved with ultrasonic vibration. The crystal grains and Mg2Si particles refine with increase in the ultrasonic vibration intensity. When the ultrasonic vibration intensity was too low or too high, coarse structures could be obtained. The analysis of refinement mechanism indicates that the acoustic cavitation and flows induced by ultrasonic vibration lead to the fine uniform microstructure.
The working principle of LFEC（Low frequency electromagnetic casting） process developed in Northeastern University, China was introduced and the metallurgical results of LFEC were discussed according to the casting practices. The low frequency field around the mold produces Lorenz force, which can be divided into two parts： one is the potential force which will be balanced by a pressure gradient of the liquid and results in the formation of a convex surface meniscus and improves the surface quality; the other is the rotary force which stirs the liquid in the mold to refine the microstructures and homogenize the distribution of alloying elements. LFEC can refine microstructures remarkably, improve surface quality of the ingots, depress macrosegregation and eliminate cracks. Some new technologies, such as horizontal direct chill casting under low-frequency electromagnetic field （HLEC）, DC casting of hollow billets under electromagnetic fields （HBEC）, electromagnetic modifying of hypereutectic A1-Si alloys（EMM）, air film casting under static magnetic field （AFCM）, and multi-ingots casting under low-frequency magnetic field （MLFEC） were developed based on LFEC.
AZ31 alloy billets of 200 mm in diameter were produced by three different processes of conventional direct chill （DC） casting, low-frequency electromagnetic casting （LFEC） and low-frequency electromagnetic vibration casting （LFEVC）, respectively. The effect of LFEC and LFEVC on the microstructures, macmsegregation and mechanical properties of AZ31 alloy billets was investigated. In conventional DC casting, the AZ31 alloy billets exhibited coarse grains （about 370 μa） and severe segregation of A1 and Zn. In the presence of a solo low-frequency alternating magnetic field or a low-frequency electromagnetic vibration field applied during DC casting of Ф200 mm AZ31 billets, grains in the AZ31 alloy billets were effectively reffmed （about 210 μa） and the macrosegregation of A1 and Zn in the billets was greatly decreased. Furthermore, the tensile strength, fracture elongation and hardness of the as-cast AZ31 alloy billets were improved by the processes of LFEC and LFEVC relative to that cast by the process of conventional DC casting.
