Overview of European skill and expertise in continuous casting modeling

<ns3:p>Thematic and geographic mapping are presented to provide a concise overview of the domains of expertise and the relevance of associated research activities in the context of modelling for continuous casting processes. The principal areas of investigation are thermo-fluid dynamics modelling, model implementation strategies, dynamic solidification simulations, validated numerical modelling, and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). In steel casting, the accurate representation and simulation of critical physical phenomena, namely heat transfer, fluid flow, and solidification, are fundamental for optimizing the process performance and ensuring the integrity of the final product. To this end, advanced numerical methodologies, such as the Finite Element Method (FEM), Finite Volume Method (FVM), Cellular Automata (CA), and Phase Field Method (PFM), have been extensively employed. A brief classification of these computational approaches is provided and organized according to their respective frameworks and techniques. This publication was developed within the METACAST dissemination project funded by the RFCS, whose consortium members are RINA-CSM (Coordinator, Italy), BFI (Germany), K1-MET (Austria), SIDENOR I+D (Spain), and SWERIM (Sweden), with the aim of establishing a comprehensive and integrative perspective on numerical modelling in continuous casting. The initiative is directed toward the European steel sector, aiming to engage a wide spectrum of stakeholders, from executive leadership within steel manufacturing enterprises to academic researchers and students, by fostering knowledge exchange and collaborative advancement.</ns3:p>