Modeling of Solidification Phenomenon in Casting-Mould System Including Shrinkage Cavities Formation

T. Skrzypczaka, E. Węgrzyn-Skrzypczakb, L. Sowaa aDepartment of Mechanics and Fundamentals of Machine Design, Czestochowa University of Technology, 42-201 Czestochowa, Poland bDepartment of Mathematics, Czestochowa University of Technology, 42-201 Czestochowa, Poland

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Mathematical model of solidification of cast steel solidification was presented in the paper. The description includes the phenomenon of heat transport from the casting to the mould through the air-filled gap of constant width as well as the cooling process of external walls of the mould. Governing equation of the model are the partial differential equations of transient heat diffusion in three-dimensional region supplemented by the additional boundary and initial conditions. Heat releasing during solidification has been taken into account by the modification of the specific heat of the solid-liquid mixture in the mushy zone. Finite element method (FEM) based on the standard Galerkin formulation was used to prepare the numerical model of considered phenomena. Two different finite element meshes were used for the casting and the mould, respectively. Internal macroscopic voids formation process due to volumetric shrinkage of solidifying material is an important part of the numerical model. These voids are called ``shrinkage cavities'' and are serious concern of the casting process. Theoretical basis was used to implement an original computer program which can be used to predict the quality of the castings. Computer simulation was carried out to confirm the application possibilities of the prepared model. The results of computer calculations of the solidification in three-dimensional casting-mould system were presented and discussed in details.

DOI:10.12693/APhysPolA.138.308 topics: heat transport, solidification, shrinkage cavity, numerical modeling, finite element method