Optimum design of flow distribution in quenching tank for heat treatment of A357 aluminum alloy large complicated thin-wall workpieces by CFD simulation and ANN approach

Based on the computational fluid dynamics （CFD） method, a quenching tank with two agitator systems and two flow-equilibrating devices was selected to simulate flow distribution using Fluent software. A numerical example was used to testify the validity of the quenching tank model. In order to take tank parameters （agitation speed, position of directional flow baffle and coordinate position in quench zone） into account, an approach that combines the artificial neural network （ANN） with CFD method was developed to study the flow distribution in the quenching tank. The flow rate of the quenching medium shows a very good agreement between the ANN predicted results and the Fluent simulated data. Methods for the optimal design of the quenching tank can be used as technical support for industrial production.

Inhomogeneity of density and mechanical properties of A357 aluminum alloy backward extruded in semi-solid state

The inhomogeneity of density and mechanical properties of A357 aluminum alloy in the semi-solid state were investigated.Numerical simulation and backward extrusion were adopted to study the preparation of cup shells.The results show that the relative density of the wall is the lowest in samples,and that of the base is the highest.With increasing the billet height,more time is needed for relative density of the corner to reach the maximum value,and the relative densities in every region improve evidently with increasing the pressure.The tensile stress was simulated to be the largest at the corner,and the hot tearings were forecasted to mainly appear at the corner too.By employing proper billet height and pressure,the extruded samples consisted of fine and uniform microstructures,and can obtain excellent mechanical properties and Brinell hardness.

Effects of beryllium and iron additions on iron-bearing phase in A357 aluminum alloys

Iron is the most deleterious impurity in the Al-Si-Mg casting alloys and can easily form inter-metallic compounds that can significantly affect the subsequent behavior of material properties.Using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and microstructural analysis, how the Be and Fe additions affect the iron-bearing phase in A357 alloys was investigated.The results show that the iron-bearing phase in A357 alloy comprises mainly the plate-like β-Al5FeSi and a small quantity of the script-type π-Al8FeMg3Si6; and that the plate-like β-Al5FeSi proportion increases with increasing iron content in the alloy.The iron-bearing phase is mostly transformed from the plate-like β-Al5FeSi to the script-type π-Al8FeMg3Si6 with the addition of Be in the alloy.The hardness of alloy samples was also tested.The results show that both the increasing iron content and Be content can increase the hardness of the alloy.This may be contributed to the change of morphology and distribution of the iron-bearing phase in A357 alloy with the addition of iron or Be to the alloy.