The key to reduce shell breakout in the continuous casting process is to control shell thickness in the mold.A numerical simulation on the turbulent flow and heat transfer coupled with solidification in the slab mold using the volume of fluid (VOF) model and the enthalpy-porosity scheme was conducted and the emphasis was put upon the flow effect on the shell thickness profiles in longitudinal and transverse directions.The results show that the jet acts a stronger impingement on the shell of narrow face,which causes a zero-increase of shell thickness in a certain range near the impingement point.The thinnest shell on the slab cross-section locates primarily in the center of the narrow face,and secondly near the comer of the wide face.Nozzle optimization can obviously increase the shell thickness and make it more uniform.