Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Metal castings Solidification'

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
Keywords: castability; metal casting; error analysis; casting fluidity; a356; solidification processing; fluidity. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 85-90).

L'objectif est d'élaborer un nouveau procédé de fabrication de mousses métalliques par voie de fonderie en modélisant l'infiltration et la solidification d'un métal liquide dans un milieu poreux. La modélisation est faite en deux étapes.Tout d'abord, à l'échelle locale un brin de la mousse métallique est considéré comme un tube capillaire et l'infiltration et solidification d'un métal liquide dans un moule cylindrique est étudiée. Deuxièmement,le modèle macroscopique de la solidification diffusive d'un métal liquide dans un milieu poreux est obtenu par prise de moyenne volumique. Le modèle local est codée dans un outil CFD opensource et trois études paramétriques ont été faites permettant la détermination des relations de la longueur et le temps d'infiltration en fonction de paramètres de fonctionnement. La modélisation de la solidification d’un métal liquide dans un milieu poreux est simplifié en considérant que le moule est complètement saturé par un métal liquide au repos,par suite la solidification se produit par diffusion pure (pas de convection). L'équilibre thermique local (LTE) est considéré entre les phases solide et liquide du métal tandis qu'un non équilibre thermique local (LTNE) est retenue entre la phase métallique et le moule. Les problèmes de fermeture associés ainsi que le problème macroscopique ont été résolus numériquement
The objective of this work is to elaborate a new manufacturing process of metal foams via casting by modelling the infiltration and solidification of liquid metal inside a porous medium.However, due to the complexity of this problem the study is divided into two steps. First, at local scale one strut of the metal foam is considered as a capillary tube and the infiltration and solidification of liquid metal inside a cylindrical mould is studied. Second, a macroscopic model of diffusive solidification is derived using the volume average method. The local model is coded in an open source CFD tool and three parametric studies were done where the relations between the infiltration length and time as function of the operating parameters are determined. The modelling of the solidification of liquid metal inside a porous medium is simplified by considering that the mould is fully saturated by liquid metal at rest, solidification occurs by pure diffusion. Local thermal equilibrium (LTE) is considered between the solid and liquid phases of the metal while local thermal non equilibrium (LTNE) is retained between the metallic mixture and the mould. The associated closure problems as well as the macroscopic problem were numerically solved

Among all casting defects, shrinkage porosities could significantly reduce the strength of metal parts. As several critical components in aerospace and automotive industries are manufactured through casting processes, ensuring these parts are free of defects and are structurally sound is an important issue. This study investigates the formation of shrinkage-related defects in alloy solidification. To have a better understanding about the defect formation mechanisms, three sets of experimental studies were performed. In the first experiment, a real-time video radiography technique is used for the observation of pore nucleation and growth in a wedge-shaped A356 aluminum casting. An image-processing technique is developed to quantify the amount of through-thickness porosity observed in the real-time radiographic video. Experimental results reveal that the formation of shrinkage porosity in castings has two stages: 1-surface sink formation and 2- internal porosity evolution. The transition from surface sink to internal porosity is defined by a critical coherency limit of . In the second and third experimental sets, two Manganese-Steel (Mn-Steel) castings with different geometries are selected. Several thermocouples are placed at different locations in the sand molds and castings to capture the cooling of different parts during solidification. At the end of solidification, castings are sectioned to observe the porosity distributions on the cut surfaces. To develop alloys’ thermo-physical properties, MAGMAsoft (a casting simulation software package) is used for the thermal simulations. To assure that the thermal simulations are accurate, the properties are adjusted to get a good agreement between simulated and measured temperatures by thermocouples. Based on the knowledge obtained from the experimental observations, a mathematical model is developed for the prediction of shrinkage porosity in castings. The model, called “advanced feeding model”, includes 3D multi-phase continuity, momentum and pore growth rate equations which inputs the material properties and transient temperature fields, and outputs the feeding velocity, liquid pressure and porosity distributions in castings. To solve the model equations, a computational code with a finite-volume approach is developed for the flow calculations. To validate the model, predicted results are compared with the experimental data. The comparison results show that the advanced feeding model can accurately predict the occurrence of shrinkage porosity defects in metal castings. Finally, the model is optimized by performing several parametric studies on the model variables.

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É apresentado um estudo experimental da laminação de tiras fundidas a partir do material semi-sólido obtido na calha de resfriamento que alimenta continuamente um laminador duo. Os cilindros do laminador estão posicionados horizontalmente e podem ser operados na velocidade de 0,25 m/s, 0,47 m/s, 0,73 m/s e 1,07 m/s. A velocidade de 0,25 m/s produziu uma tira de melhor qualidade. Ligas hipoeutéticas Pb/Sn (Pb–30%Sn, Pb-40%Sn, Pb-50%Sn) e próxima ao ponto eutético (Pb-63%Sn), respectivamente, com intervalo de solidificação de 75 °C, 56 °C, 31 °C e 6 °C de acordo com o diagrama de fases, foram utilizadas nos ensaios experimentais para obter tiras semi-sólidas fundidas e tixoconformadas para comparação. As diversas simulações usando as ligas de Pb/Sn têm revelado a importância do intervalo de solidificação e temperatura de vazamento da liga, da velocidade dos cilindros, da temperatura do bocal junto ao cilindro inferior, da superfície de acabamento dos cilindros e da geometria da panela intermediária (tundish), sobre a qualidade do produto final. A liga Pb-30%Sn com alto intervalo de solidificação em comparação com outras ligas testadas, apresentou maior dificuldade para ser tixolaminada. Isso ocorreu, porque as ligas de alto intervalo de solidificação tendem a formar trincas à quente no final da solidificação. Como resultado, uma pasta metálica plástica é difícil de formar. O caminho provável para obter uma tira semi-sólida fundida de boa qualidade neste caso, é aplicar uma inoculação que produz grãos finos antes do vazamento. O controle para a tixolaminação empregando a liga Sn-37%Pb com intervalo de solidificação menor, e elevada fluidez, é mais rigoroso para obter uma tira contínua. Conseqüentemente, foram utilizadas diferentes temperaturas de vazamento (260, 240 e 220 ºC) para controlar a fluidez e obter o tempo de contato...
This is an experimental study of cast strip rolling from semi-solid material employing a cooling slope which continuously feeds a rolling mill. The cylinders of the rolling mill are positioned horizontally and can be operated at speeds of 0.25 m/s, 0.47 m/s, 0.73 m/s and 1.07 m/s. The lower speed of 0,25 m/s produces a strip of better quality. Hypoeutectic Pb/Sn alloys (Pb-30%Sn, Pb-40%Sn, Pb-50%Sn) and near eutectic point alloys (Pb-63%Sn), with solidification intervals of 75°C, 56°C, 31°C and 6°C respectively, according to the phase diagram, were used in experimental tests to obtain cast semi-solid and thixorolled strips for comparison. Simulations highlighted the necessary control parameters required to obtain good quality of the strip. These were: control alloy solidification interval, pouring temperature, roll speeds, ceramic nozzle temperature at the lower roll, quality of the roll surface finishing and tundish geometry. The Pb-30%Sn alloy, which has a much higher solidification interval in comparison with the other alloys tested, was difficult to thixoroll. This is because alloys with a high solidification interval tend to form hot tears at the end of solidification, and prevent a plastic metallic mush from forming. The probable solution to obtaining a semi-solid fused strip of good quality with this material, is to apply an inoculation that produces fine grains just before the pouring. In contrast, the parameter control for thixorolling of the Sn-37%Pb alloy, with lesser solidification interval and elevated fluidity, needed to be rigorous to obtain a continuous strip. Consequently, several pouring temperatures (260, 240 and 220ºC) were used to vary the fluidity and obtain sufficient alloy-inferior cylinder contact time for complete solidification. The strips obtained by the twin and single roll processing, and conventional rolling were characterized... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Orientador: Antônio de Pádua Lima Filho
Banca: João Batista Campos Silva
Banca: Alcides Padilha
Resumo: É apresentado um estudo experimental da laminação de tiras fundidas a partir do material semi-sólido obtido na calha de resfriamento que alimenta continuamente um laminador duo. Os cilindros do laminador estão posicionados horizontalmente e podem ser operados na velocidade de 0,25 m/s, 0,47 m/s, 0,73 m/s e 1,07 m/s. A velocidade de 0,25 m/s produziu uma tira de melhor qualidade. Ligas hipoeutéticas Pb/Sn (Pb-30%Sn, Pb-40%Sn, Pb-50%Sn) e próxima ao ponto eutético (Pb-63%Sn), respectivamente, com intervalo de solidificação de 75 °C, 56 °C, 31 °C e 6 °C de acordo com o diagrama de fases, foram utilizadas nos ensaios experimentais para obter tiras semi-sólidas fundidas e tixoconformadas para comparação. As diversas simulações usando as ligas de Pb/Sn têm revelado a importância do intervalo de solidificação e temperatura de vazamento da liga, da velocidade dos cilindros, da temperatura do bocal junto ao cilindro inferior, da superfície de acabamento dos cilindros e da geometria da panela intermediária (tundish), sobre a qualidade do produto final. A liga Pb-30%Sn com alto intervalo de solidificação em comparação com outras ligas testadas, apresentou maior dificuldade para ser tixolaminada. Isso ocorreu, porque as ligas de alto intervalo de solidificação tendem a formar trincas à quente no final da solidificação. Como resultado, uma pasta metálica plástica é difícil de formar. O caminho provável para obter uma tira semi-sólida fundida de boa qualidade neste caso, é aplicar uma inoculação que produz grãos finos antes do vazamento. O controle para a tixolaminação empregando a liga Sn-37%Pb com intervalo de solidificação menor, e elevada fluidez, é mais rigoroso para obter uma tira contínua. Conseqüentemente, foram utilizadas diferentes temperaturas de vazamento (260, 240 e 220 ºC) para controlar a fluidez e obter o tempo de contato... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo)
Abstract: This is an experimental study of cast strip rolling from semi-solid material employing a cooling slope which continuously feeds a rolling mill. The cylinders of the rolling mill are positioned horizontally and can be operated at speeds of 0.25 m/s, 0.47 m/s, 0.73 m/s and 1.07 m/s. The lower speed of 0,25 m/s produces a strip of better quality. Hypoeutectic Pb/Sn alloys (Pb-30%Sn, Pb-40%Sn, Pb-50%Sn) and near eutectic point alloys (Pb-63%Sn), with solidification intervals of 75°C, 56°C, 31°C and 6°C respectively, according to the phase diagram, were used in experimental tests to obtain cast semi-solid and thixorolled strips for comparison. Simulations highlighted the necessary control parameters required to obtain good quality of the strip. These were: control alloy solidification interval, pouring temperature, roll speeds, ceramic nozzle temperature at the lower roll, quality of the roll surface finishing and tundish geometry. The Pb-30%Sn alloy, which has a much higher solidification interval in comparison with the other alloys tested, was difficult to thixoroll. This is because alloys with a high solidification interval tend to form hot tears at the end of solidification, and prevent a plastic metallic mush from forming. The probable solution to obtaining a semi-solid fused strip of good quality with this material, is to apply an inoculation that produces fine grains just before the pouring. In contrast, the parameter control for thixorolling of the Sn-37%Pb alloy, with lesser solidification interval and elevated fluidity, needed to be rigorous to obtain a continuous strip. Consequently, several pouring temperatures (260, 240 and 220ºC) were used to vary the fluidity and obtain sufficient alloy-inferior cylinder contact time for complete solidification. The strips obtained by the twin and single roll processing, and conventional rolling were characterized... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)
Mestre

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin-- Madison, 1988.
Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 109-111).

The primary focus of the present work is to model the entire casting process from filling stage to complete solidification. The model takes into consideration any phase change taking place during the filling process. An implicit volume of fluid (VOF) based algorithm has been employed for simulating free surface flows during the filling process and the model for solidification is based on a fixed-grid enthalpy-based control volume approach. Solidification modelling is coupled with VOF through User Defined Functions (UDF) developed in commercial fluid dynamics (CFD) code FLUENT 6.3.26. The developed model is applied for the simultaneous filling and solidification of pure metals and binary alloy systems to study the effects of filling process on the solidification characteristics, evolution of mushy zone and the final macrosegregation pattern in the casting. The numerical results of the present analysis are compared with the conventional analysis assuming the initial conditions to be a completely filled mould cavity with uniform temperature, solute concentration and quiescent melt inside the cavity. The effects of process parameters, namely the degree of superheat, cooling temperature and filling velocity etc. are also investigated. Results show significant differences on the evolution of mushy zone and macrosegregation between the present analysis and the conventional analysis. The application of present model to simulate three dimensional sand casting is also demonstrated. The three dimensional competetive effect of filling generated residual flow and the buoyancy-induced convective flow pattern cause significant difference in macrosegregation pattern in casting.

In most casting applications, dendritic microstructure morphology is not desired because it leads to poor mechanical properties. Forced convection causing sufficient shearing in the mushy zone of the partially solidified melt is one of the means to suppress this dendritic growth. The dendrites formed at the solid-liquid interface are detached and carried away due to strong fluid flow to form slurry. This slurry, consisting of rosette or globular particles, provides less resistance to flow even at a high solid fraction and can easily fill the die-cavity. The stated principle is the basis of a new manufacturing technology called “semi-solid forming” (SSF), in which metal alloys are cast in the semi-solid state. This technique has numerous advantages over other existing commercial casting processes, such as reduction of macrosegregation, reduction of porosity and low forming efforts. Among all currently available methods available for large scale production of semisolid slurry, the cooling slope is considered to be a simple but effective method because of its simple design and easy control of process parameters, low equipment and running costs, high production efficiency and reduced inhomogeneity. With this perspective, the primary objective of the present research is to investigate, both experimentally and numerically, convective heat transfer and solidification on a cooling slope, in addition to the study of final microstructure of the cast billets. Some key process parameters are identified, namely pouring temperature, slope angle, slope length, and slope cooling rate. A systematic scaling analysis is performed in order to understand the relative importance of the parameters in influencing the final properties of the slurry and microstructure after solidification. A major part of the present work deals with the development of an experimental set up with careful consideration of the range of process parameters involved by treating the cooling slope as a heat exchanger. Subsequently, a comprehensive numerical model is developed to predict the flow, heat transfer, species concentration solid fraction distribution of aluminum alloy melt while flowing down the cooling slope. The model uses a variable viscosity relation for slurry. The metal-air interface at the top during the melt flow is tracked using a volume of fluid (VOF) method. Solidification is modeled using an enthalpy based approach and a volume averaged technique. The mushy region is modeled as a multi-layered porous medium consisting of fixed columnar dendrites and mobile equiaxed or fragmented grains. In addition, the solidification model also incorporates a fragmentation criterion and solid phase movement. The effects of key process parameters on flow behavior involving velocity distribution, temperature distribution, solid fractions at the slope exit, and macrosegregation, are studied numerically and experimentally for aluminium alloy A356. The resulting microstructures of the cast billets obtained from the experiments are studied and characterized. Finally the experimental results are linked to the model predictions for establishing the relations involving interdependence of the stated key process parameters in determining the quality of the final cast products. This study is aimed towards providing the necessary guidelines for designing a cooling slope and optimizing the process parameters for desirable quality of the solidified product.

Manufacturing of light-weight materials is associated with several types of casting defects during solidification. Porosity defects are common, especially in aluminum and its alloys, which initiate crack propagation and thereby cause drastic deterioration in the mechanical properties. These defects, classified as micro and macro defects (based on their sizes), are mainly governed by release of hydrogen into the liquid at the solid-liquid interface, which triggers the nucleation and growth of hydrogen bubbles in the melt. Subsequently, these bubbles interact with solidifying interfaces such as dendritic arms and eutectic fronts, leading to the formation of pores. Macroscopic defects in the form of voids are created due to solidification shrinkage. The primary focus of the present work is to develop phenomenological models for the evolution of microporosity and microstructures during solidification. The issues outlined above typically occur in multi-phase environments comprising of solid, liquid and gaseous phases, and over a range of length and time scales. Any phenomenological prediction would, therefore, require a multi-phase-scale approach. Principles of volume averaging are applied to equations of conservation to obtain single-field formulations. These are then solved with appropriate interface tracking techniques such as Enthalpy, Level-set, Volume-of-fluid and Immersed-boundary methods. The framework is built up on a standard pressure based incompressible fluid flow solver (SIMPLER algorithm) and coupled modeling strategies are proposed to address the interfacial dynamics. A two-dimensional framework is considered with a fixed-grid Cartesian co-ordinate system. Scaling analyses are performed to bring out the relative effects of various competing parameters in order to obtain further insights into this complex phenomenon. The numerical results and scaling predictions are validated against experimental observations published in literature. In literature, numerical predictions of microporosity mainly include criteria based models based on empirical relations and deterministic/stochastic models based on diffusion driven growth assuming spherical bubbles. The dynamic evolution of non-spherical bubble-metal interface in a three-phase system is yet to be captured. Moreover, several in-situ experiments have shown elongated bubble shapes during the engulfment phase, therefore a criterion to define the dependence on cooling rates and the resulting bubble morphology can possibly deliver further practical insights. We propose a numerical model for hydrogen bubble growth, its movement and subsequent engulfment by a solidifying front, combining the features of level-set and enthalpy methods for tracking bubble-metal and solid-liquid interfaces, respectively. The influx of hydrogen into heterogeneously nucleated bubbles results in growth of bubbles to sizes up to a few hundreds of microns. In the first part of this numerical study, a methodology based on the level-set approach is developed to simultaneously capture hydrogen bubble growth and movement in liquid aluminum. The solidification is first assumed to occur outside the micro-domain providing a specified hydrogen influx to the bubble-in-liquid system. The level-set equation is formulated in such a way as to account for simultaneous growth and movement of the bubble. The growth of a bubble with continuous and fixed hydrogen levels in the melt is studied. The rates of growth of bubble-liquid and solidifying interfaces are compared using an order of magnitude analysis. This scaling analysis explains the thought experiment proposed in the literature, where difference in bubble shapes was attributed to the cooling rate. Moreover, it shows explicit dependence on bubble radius and cooling rate leading to a new criterion for bubble elongation proposed in this thesis. This also highlights the comparison between solidification and hydrogen diffusion time-scales which primarily govern the competitive growth behavior. The bubble-in-liquid model is coupled with microscopic enthalpy method to incorporate effects of solidification and study the interaction of solid-liquid and bubble-liquid interfaces. The phenomena of bubble engulfment and elongation are successfully captured by the proposed model. A parametric study is carried out to estimate the bubble elongation based on different initial bubble sizes and varying cooling rates encountered in typical sand, permanent mold and die casting processes. Although simulation of microstructures has been extensively studied in the literature, very few models address the phenomena of simultaneous growth and movement of equiaxed dendrites. The presence of different flow environments and multiple dendrites are known to alter the position and shape of the dendrites. The proposed model combines the features of the following methods, namely, the Enthalpy method for modeling growth; the Immersed Boundary Method (IBM) for handling the rigid solid-liquid interfaces; and the Volume of Fluid (VOF) method for tracking the advection of the dendrite. The algorithm also performs explicit-implicit coupling between the techniques used. Validation with available literature is performed and dendrite growth in presence of rotational and buoyancy driven flow fields is studied. The expected transformation into globular microstructure in presence of stirring induced flows is successfully simulated. A simple order estimate for time required for stirring is performed which agrees with numerical predictions. In buoyancy driven environment of a settling dendrite, the arm tip speeds show expected higher velocity of the upstream tip compared to its counterpart. The model is extended to study thermal and hydrodynamic interactions between multiple dendrites with appropriate considerations for different orientations and velocities of the dendritic solid entities. The present model can be used for the prediction of grain sizes and shapes and to simulate morphological transformations due to different melt flow scenarios. In the final part, the methodology presented for growth and engulfment of hydrogen bubbles is extended to study the phenomenon of diffusion driven bubble growth occurring in direct foaming of metals. The source of hydrogen is determined by the rate of decomposition of the blowing agent. This is accounted for by a source term in the hydrogen species conservation equation, and growth rate of hydrogen bubbles is calculated on the basis of diffusive flux at the interface. The level-set method is used for tracking the bubble-liquid interface growth, and the macroscopic enthalpy model is used for obtaining heat transfer and solid front position. The model is validated with analytical solution by comparing the front position and the solidification time. The variation of foam density with a transient hydrogen generation source is studied and qualitatively compared with results reported in literature. The modeling strategies proposed in this work are generic and therefore have potential in simulating a variety of complex multi-phase problems.

This work includes the development of computational fluid dynamic (CFD) and finite element analysis (FEA) models to investigate fluid flow , solidification, and stress in the shell within the mold during continuous casting. The flow and solidification simulation is validated using breakout shell measurements provided by an industrial collaborator. The shell can be obtained by the solidification model and used in a FEA stress model. The stress model was validated by former research related to stress within a solidifying body presented by Koric and Thomas. The work also includes the application of these two models with a transient solidification model and a carbon percentage investigation on both solidification and deformation.

Heat transfer and solidification models were developed for use in a numerical model of a continuous caster to provide a means of predicting how the developing shell would react under variable operating conditions. Measurement data of the operating conditions leading up to a breakout occurrence were provided by an industrial collaborator and were used to define the model boundary conditions. Steady-state and transient simulations were conducted, using boundary conditions defined from time-averaged measurement data. The predicted shell profiles demonstrated good agreement with thickness measurements of a breakout shell segment – recovered from the quarter-width location. Further examination of the results with measurement data suggests pseudo-steady assumption may be inadequate for modeling shell and flow field transition period following sudden changes in casting speed. An adaptive mesh refinement procedure was established to increase refinement in areas of predicted shell growth and to remove excess refinement from regions containing only liquid. A control algorithm was developed and employed to automate the refinement procedure in a proof-of-concept simulation. The use of adaptive mesh refinement was found to decrease the total simulation time by approximately 11% from the control simulation – using a static mesh.