FEM analysis of metal flowing behaviors in porthole die extrusion based on the mesh reconstruction technology of the welding process

A reconstruction technology of finite element meshes based on reversal engineering was applied to solve mesh penetration and separation in the finite element simulation for the divergent extrusion. The 3D numerical simulation of the divergent extrusion process in- cluding the welding stage for complicated hollow sections was conducted. Based on the analysis of flowing behaviors, the flowing velocities of the alloy in portholes and near the welding planes were properly controlled through optimizing the expansion angle as well as porthole ar- eas and positions. After the die structure optimization, defects such as warp, wrist, and the wavelike are eliminated, which improves the sec- tion-forming quality. Meanwhile, the temperature distribution in the cross section is uniform. Especially, the temperature of the C-shape notch with a larger thickness is lower than that of other regions in the cross section, which is beneficial for balancing the alloy flowing velocity.

FE analysis of extrusion defect and optimization of metal flow in porthole die for complex hollow aluminium profile

To solve the defects of bottom concave appearing in the extrusion experiments of complex hollow aluminium profiles,a 3D finite element model for simulating steady-state porthole die extrusion process was established based on HyperXtrude software using Arbitrary Lagrangian–Eulerian(ALE)algorithm.The velocity distribution on the cross-section of the extrudate at the die exit and pressure distribution at different heights in the welding chamber were quantitatively analyzed.To obtain an uniformity of metal flow velocity at the die exit,the porthole die structure was optimized by adding baffle plates.After optimization,maximum displacement in the Y direction at the bottom of profile decreases from 1.1 to 0.15 mm,and the concave defects are remarkably improved.The research method provides an effective guidance for improving extrusion defects and optimizing the metal flow of complex hollow aluminium profiles during porthole die extrusion.

Effects of Guiding Angle on Plastic Metal Flow and Defects in Extrusion of Aluminum Alloy

To reduce defects, such as the shrinkage cavity and the surface cracks caused by non-homogeneous metal flow in extrusion process, an extrusion method was proposed by using a die with the guiding angle. Numerical simulation and experiment were conducted to investigate the metal flow in this extrusion process. It is shown that the stress state at the bottom of the die is changed. The tendency to generate the dead zone is decreased by employing the guiding angle at the die entrance. The shrinkage cavity is reduced because the non-homogeneous metal flow at the final stage of extrusion is improved. The axial stress is decreased greatly so that the surface cracks caused by additional stress are avoided.

A comparative study of interface reconstruction algorithms in molten metal flow

In the present research,two numerical schemes for improving the accuracy of the solution in the flow simulation of molten metal were applied.One method is the Piecewise Linear Interface Calculation(PLIC) method and the other is the Donor-Acceptor(D-A) method.To verify the module of the interface reconstruction algorithms,simple problems were tested.After these validations,the accuracy and efficiency of these two methods were compared by simulating various real products.On the numerical simulation of free surface flow,it is possible for the PLIC method to track very accurately the interface between phases.The PLIC method,however,has the weak point in that a lot of computational time is required,though it shows the more accurate interface reconstruction.The Donor-Acceptor method has enough effectiveness in the macro-observation of a mold filling sequence though it shows inferior accuracy.Therefore,for the problems that need the accurate solution,PLIC is more appropriate than D-A.More accuracy may cause less efficiency in numerical analysis.Which method between D-A method and PLIC method should be chosen depends on the product.

THE EFFECTS OF MAGNETIC FIELD ON TWO-PHASE LIQUID METAL FLOW

In this paper,the basic equations of two-phase liquid metal flow in a magnetic field are de- rived,and specifically,two-phase liquid metal MHD flow in a rectangular channel is studied,and the expres- sions of velocity distribution of liquid and gas phases and the ratio K_0 of the pressure drop in two-phase MHD flow to that in single-phase are derived.Results of calculation show that the ratio K_0 is smaller than unity and decreases with increasing void fraction and Hartmann number because the effective electrical conduc- tivity in the two-phase case decreases.

Metal flow hysteresis behavior and shape control strategy during porthole die extrusion of micro heat pipe

The shape control strategy of micro grooves is still unclear and challenging during the porthole die extrusion of grooved micro heat pipe(MHP).Through the simulation and experiment of porthole die extrusion of a MHP profile,the metal flow hysteresis behavior within micro features and the effect of ram speed and extrusion temperature on it and the resulting forming integrity was elucidated.Innovatively,Taguchi design and variance analysis(ANOVA)were introduced to determine their influence magnitude on the metal flow uniformity calculated by simulation results.The main findings are given below.The metal flow hysteresis derives from part feature size effect.The negligible friction-affected area during conventional extrusion severely slows down the metal flow within micro features during the MHP profile extrusion,which is due to the surge in the area ratio of the friction-affected area to the region in which it is located.Neither ram speed nor extrusion temperature can change the distribution of the friction-affected area.However,increasing ram speed multiplies the metal flow hysteresis and severely reduces the forming integrity,whereas extrusion temperature has little effect.Following this strategy,batch extrusion of the profile with microgrooved width of 0.27±0.02 mm was achieved in industrialized conditions.

Experiment and Simulation of Metal Flow in Multi-stage Forming Process of Railway Wheel

To investigate the metal flow during the railway wheel forming process, experiments and finite element method （FEM） simulation were carried out. An axisymmetric modeling for the wheel rolling process was proposed to predict the metal flow in radial direction, by which the whole multi-stage forming process could be simulated in axisymmetric and integral way. The result shows that the axisymmetric simulation method was an effective method to explore the metal flow in radial direction and to analyze the relationships of tools motion during the wheel rolling. The detail information about metal flow in railway wheel forming process was obtained. The metal in the wheel web was from the area near the half radius of the original billet; the chill zone of the billet became an envelope of the rim and part of the web with a maximum thickness of about 6 mm below the tread. At the wheel rolling stage, the metal in the rim flowed towards the web; the metal near the surfaces of the conjunction region between the web and rim suffered severe shear deformation.

Uniform Flow of Molten Metals in Rectangular Open Channels

The flow of liquids in open channels has been studied since ancient Rome. However, the vast majority of published reports on flow in open channels are focused on the transport of drinking water and sewage disposal. The literature on the transport of molten metals in open channels is quite scarce. In this work, the uniform flow of pig iron and molten aluminum in rectangular open channels is studied. Specific energy curves are constructed and critical heights are analytically determined. The transition from subcritical to supercritical flow is analyzed as a function of the angle of inclination of the channel and the roughness of its walls. Manning’s equation is applied to the pig iron flow using data reported in the literature for molten aluminum. The need to correct the roughness coefficient for pig iron is observed in order to obtain results consistent with those previously reported.

Synthesis and properties of nanocrystalline nonferrous metals prepared by flow-levitation-molding method

Nanocrystalline nonferrous metals (Cu, Al, and Ag) were synthesized by flow-levitation-molding method. The microstructure of the as-prepared nanocrystalline metals was characterized by XRD and FESEM. The microhardness and electrical resistivity were tested by the HMV-2 type Microhardness Tester and 6157 type Electrometer, respectively. The synthesis process was also studied. The results show that the spheriform particles in nanocrystalline metals have average grain size of 20-30 nm. The relative density of nanocrystalline Cu, Al, and Ag are 95.1%, 98.1% and 98.3%, respectively. The microhardness of nanocrystalline Cu, Al and Ag are 2.01, 2.11 and 1.26 GPa respectively, which are larger than those of their coarse-grained counterparts by the factor of 4.5, 14, and 2.5, respectively. The electrical resistivity of nanocrystalline Cu at room temperature is 1.5×10-7 Ω·m, which is higher than coarse-grained Cu by a factor of 7.5. The pressure is the predominant factor influencing the density of the as-prepared nanocrystalline nonferrous metals.

Impact of Inert Metal Particles Flow on Aluminium Plate

Inert metal explosive,a new kind of explosive,is a mixture of high explosive and inert metal particle.When this kind of explosive is detonated,an inert metal particle flow will be formed by the ex-plosive product driving.To determine the characteristics of the movement of the metal particle flow,a series of aluminium plates were designed to be the targets on which the metal particle flow impacted.The test result was presented and a numerical model was set up to analyze the impact of the high speed inert metal particles on aluminium plate.Based on the numerical analysis,the relationship between the characteristic of the mark on the target plate and the initial condition of the inert metal particles was pro-posed.From the analysis of the impact on target plates,more information about the movement of the metal particles could be reconstructed.

PROMOTER FLOW ACTION OF SOLID-STATE LOW MELT POINT METAL ON THE POLYPROPYLENE

With the aid of a slip-disentanglemnt theory, a rheological equation has been deduced about the composite system of solid-state low melting point metal and polymer. By measuring some rheological properties of the composite system composed of low melt point metal and polypropylene (LMPM/PP), the results show that LMPM has a promoter flow action upon PP when using a small amount of LMPM and, if some coupled agents are added, the promoter flow action will be remarkable. Moreover, while LMPM being added into the composite, the temperature sensitivity of system will go rip. This indicates that the system's viscosity will drop further if its temperature is increased.

MHD Stability Analysis and Flow Controls of Liquid Metal Free Surface Film Flows as Fusion Reactor PFCs

Numerical and experimental investigation results on the magnetohydrodynamics（MHD） film flows along flat and curved bottom surfaces are summarized in this study. A simplified modeling has been developed to study the liquid metal MHD film state, which has been validated by the existing experimental results. Numerical results on how the inlet velocity（V）, the chute width（W） and the inlet film thickness（d0） affect the MHD film flow state are obtained. MHD stability analysis results are also provided in this study. The results show that strong magnetic fields make the stable V decrease several times compared to the case with no magnetic field,especially small radial magnetic fields（Bn） will have a significant impact on the MHD film flow state. Based on the above numerical and MHD stability analysis results flow control methods are proposed for flat and curved MHD film flows. For curved film flow we firstly proposed a new multi-layers MHD film flow system with a solid metal mesh to get the stable MHD film flows along the curved bottom surface. Experiments on flat and curved MHD film flows are also carried out and some firstly observed results are achieved.

Flow Electrification of Insulated Liquid in Metal Pipes

When relative motion occurs between a liquid and a solid, the two phases carry electric charge with opposite signs. The created charge easily accumulates in the liquid, and the amount of the charge carried in an insulated liquid refers to many factors, such as contact area with the solid surface, the contact time, and so forth. However, current theories agree that the amount of charge created during flow electrification is proportional to the contact surface. In this paper, the classical wall current theory is applied to establish an interfacial electrical double-layer model of flow electrification phenomena when an insulated liquid passes over metal pipe surface. Meanwhile, in conjunction with charge relaxation function, the relation between the charge density and flow velocity, the contact time and the contact area is obtained during the liquid flowing process. The experimental result demonstrates that the flowing charge carried in the insulated liquid is not simply proportional to the contact area, but has a non-linear dependence on the contact area and the contact time. Moreover, down flow experimental equipment pipes of different length and diameter, and dielectric hydraulic oil VG46 are used in an experimental study of laminar flow, in order to understand electrification phenomena in dielectric liquid flowing over metal pipes of different length and aperture. If they both increase linearly, charge relaxation will increase exponentially. As a result, the test result verifies related theoretical analysis, and the method given provides a theoretical basis to analyze interracial electrical phenomena.

Effect of continuous casting speed on mold surface flow and the related near-surface distribution of non-metallic inclusions

For the control of surface defects in interstitial-free(IF) steel, quantitative metallographic analyses of near-surface inclusions and surface liquid flow detection via the nail-board tipping method were conducted. The results show that, at casting speeds of 0.8 and 1.0 m/min, a thin liquid mold flux layer forms and non-uniform floating of argon bubbles occurs, inducing the entrainment and subsequent entrapment of the liquid flux; fine inclusion particles of Al_2O_3 can also aggregate at the solidification front. At higher casting speeds of 1.4 and 1.6 m/min, the liquid mold flux can be entrained and carried deeper into the liquid steel pool because of strong level fluctuations of the liquid steel and the flux. The optimal casting speed is approximately 1.2 m/min, with the most favorable surface flow status and, correspondingly, the lowest number of inclusions near the slab surface.

MHD Effect of Liquid Metal Film Flows as Plasma-Facing Components

Stability of liquid metal film flow under gradient magnetic field is investigated. Three dimensional numerical simulations on magnetohydrodynamics （MHD） effect of free surface film flow were carried out, with emphasis on the film thickness variation and its surface stability. Three different MHD phenomena of film flow were observed in the experiment, namely, retardant, rivulet and flat film flow. From our experiment and numerical simulation it can be concluded that flat film flow is a good choice for plasma-facing components （PFCs）

Unsteady Non-Uniform Flow of Molten Metals in Rectangular Open Channels

In the metallurgical industries, it is very important to characterize the flow of molten metals in open channels given that they are transported through these devices to different plant sections. However, unlike the flow of water which has been studied since ancient times, the flow of molten metals in open channels has received little attention. The unsteady non-uniform flow of blast furnace molten pig iron in a rectangular open channel is analyzed in this work by numerical solution of the Saint-Venant equations. The influence of mesh size on the convergence of molten metal height is studied to determine the proper mesh and time step sizes. A sinusoidal inflow pulse is imposed at the entrance of the channel in order to analyze the propagation of the resulting wave. The influence of the angle of inclination of the channel and the roughness coefficient of the walls on the amplitude and the dynamic behavior of the height of the molten metal are analyzed. Phase portraits of the channel state variables are constructed and interpreted. Numerical simulations show that as the angle of inclination of the channel increases, the amplitude of the formed wave decreases. From 10 degrees onwards, the peak of the wave descends even below the initial height. On the other hand, the roughness coefficient affects the molten pig iron height profiles in an inverse way than the angle of inclination. The amplitude of the formed wave increases as the roughness coefficient increases.

Simulation on flow process of filtered molten metals

Filtration and flow process of molten metals was analyzed by water simulation experiments. Fluid dynamic phenomena of molten metal cells through a foam ceramic filter was described and calculated by ERGOR equation as well. The results show that the filter is most useful for stable molten metals and the filtered flow is laminar, so that inclusions can be removed more effectively.

Flow Field of Metallic Fluid Acted by Electromagnetic and Centrifugal Force

According to the principle of electromagnetism and hydrodynamics,a mathematical model of flow field for metallic fluid acted by electromagnetic and centrifugal forces was established.The calculation results showed that the relative velocity between metallic fluid layers rises and the absolute rotational velocity of metallic fluid falls with the increase of magnetic induction intensity.The increase of centrifugal revolution hardly affects the relative velocity between metallic fluid layers,but can enhance the absolute rotational velocity of metallic fluid.

On-line Preconcentration and Determination of Trace Metals in Water Samples by Flow Injection Combined with Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrometry via Calix[4]arene Carboxylic Acid Packed Micro-column

An adsorbent calix[4]arene carboxylic acid was employed as the adsorption material for on-line flow in jection（FI） micro-column preconcentration coupled with flame atomic absorption spectrometry（FAAS） determination of trace heavy metals（Cu, Pb, Co, Ni and Cd）. Parameters such as the pH, loading time and flow rate of sample, and the concentration, volume and flow rate of eluent were optimized. The enrichment factors are 50.0, 56.5, 11.6, 12.1 and 19.1 for Cu, Pb, Co, Ni, and Cd, respectively, and a sample throughput of 20 h–1 was obtained. The limits of de tection for Cu, Pb, Co, Ni, and Cd were in a range of 1.56―3.91 μg/L, and the relative standard deviations（RSDs） were less than 2.76%（n=7）. Furthermore, the proposed method was successfully applied to the determination of Cu, Pb, Co, Ni, and Cd in certified reference materials and various water samples.

Selective Area Growth and Characterization of GaN Nanorods Fabricated by Adjusting the Hydrogen Flow Rate and Growth Temperature with Metal Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition

CaN nanorods are successfully fabricated by adjusting the flow rate ratio of hydrogen （H2）/nitrogen （N2） and growth temperature of the selective area growth （SAG） method with metal organic chemical vapor deposition （MOCVD）. The SAG template is obtained by nanospherical-lens photolithography. It is found that increasing the flow rate of 1-12 will change the CaN crystal shape from pyramid to vertical rod, while increasing the growth temperature will reduce the diameters of GaN rods to nanometer scale. Finally the CaN nanorods with smooth lateral surface and relatively good quality are obtained under the condition that the H2：N2 ratio is 1：1 and the growth temperature is 1030℃. The good crystal quality and orientation of GaN nanorods are confirmed by high resolution transmission electron microscopy. The cathodoluminescence spectrum suggests that the crystal and optical quality is also improved with increasing the temperature.