A finite element method for casting simulations
The rapid growth in the use of advanced materials in a large number of highly demanding automotive, electronic, and consumer applications has promoted the development of new and more complex material forming processes. A good understanding of the interaction between material and processing conditions is now very important in order to comply with stricter tolerances and demanding service conditions. This is particularly important in the case of castings involving the filling of a die where the coupled phenomena of fluid flow and heat transfer determine, to a large extent the final properties of the part. This paper presents a finite element model for the three-dimensional simulation of industrial mold filling and solidification problems. The finite element solutions of mold filling problems involve highly convective fluid flow coupled with free surface, heat transfer, nonconstant material properties, and complex three-dimensional geometries. They present unusual challenges for both the finite element modeling and numerical solution algorithms. In this work a segregated algorithm is proposed to solve Navier-Stokes, energy, and front tracking equations. The streamline upwind Petrov-Galerkin formulation is used to obtain stable solutions. The position of the free surface is modeled using a level-set approach. The whole procedure is shown to present the accuracy, robustness, and cost-effectiveness needed for complex three-dimensional industrial applications.
- Research Organization:
- National Research Council of Canada, Boucherville, Quebec (CA)
- OSTI ID:
- 20005609
- Journal Information:
- Numerical Heat Transfer. Part A, Applications, Vol. 36, Issue 7; Other Information: PBD: 26 Nov 1999; ISSN 1040-7782
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Modeling injection molding of net-shape active ceramic components.
A Combined Experimental and Computational Approach for the Design of Mold Topography that Leads to Desired Ingot Surface and Microstructure in Aluminum Casting.