Volume-averaged modeling of multiphase solidification with equiaxed crystal sedimentation in a steel ingot

Macrosegregation is a critical factor that limits the mechanical properties of materials.The impact of equiaxed crystal sedimentation on macrosegregation has been extensively studied,as it plays a significant role in determining the distribution of alloying elements and impurities within a material.To improve macrosegregation in steel connecting shafts,a multiphase solidification model that couples melt flow,heat transfer,microstructure evolution,and solute transport was established based on the volume-averaged Eulerian-Eulerian approach.In this model,the effects of liquid phase,equiaxed crystals,columnar dendrites,and columnar-to-equiaxed transition(CET)during solidification and evolution of microstructure can be considered simultaneously.The sedimentation of equiaxed crystals contributes to negative macrosegregation,where regions between columnar dendrites and equiaxed crystals undergo significant A-type positive macrosegregation due to the CET.Additionally,noticeable positive macrosegregation occurs in the area of final solidification in the ingot.The improvement in macrosegregation is beneficial for enhancing the mechanical properties of connecting shafts.To mitigate the thermal convection of molten steel resulting from excessive superheating,reducing the superheating during casting without employing external fields or altering the design of the ingot mold is indeed an effective approach to control macrosegregation.

Particle-in-cell simulations of EUV-induced hydrogen plasma in the vicinity of a reflective mirror

Particle-In-Cell(PIC)simulations were performed in this work to study the dynamics of the EUVinduced hydrogen plasma.The Monte-Carlo Collision(MCC)model was employed to deal with the collisions between charged particles and background gas molecules.The dynamic evolution of the plasma sheath,as well as the flux and energy distribution of ions impacting on the mirror surface,was discussed.It was found that the emission of secondary electrons under the EUV irradiation on the ruthenium mirror coating creates a positively charged wall and then prevents the ions from impacting on the mirror and therefore changes the flux and energy distribution of ions reaching the mirror.Furthermore,gas pressure has a notable effect on the plasma sheath and the characteristics of the ions impinging on the mirrors.With greater gas pressure,the sheath potential decreases more rapidly.The flux of ions received by the mirror grows approximately linearly and at the same time the energy corresponding to the peak flux decreases slightly.However,the EUV source intensity barely changes the sheath potential,and its influence on the ion impact is mainly limited to the approximate linear increase in ion flux.

Exploration of the coupled lattice Boltzmann model based on a multiphase field model:A study of the solid-liquid-gas interaction mechanism in the solidification process

A multiphase field model coupled with a lattice Boltzmann(PF-LBM)model is proposed to simulate the distribution mechanism of bubbles and solutes at the solid-liquid interface,the interaction between dendrites and bubbles,and the effects of different temperatures,anisotropic strengths and tilting angles on the solidified organization of the SCN-0.24wt.%butanedinitrile alloy during the solidification process.The model adopts a multiphase field model to simulate the growth of dendrites,calculates the growth motions of dendrites based on the interfacial solute equilibrium;and adopts a lattice Boltzmann model(LBM)based on the Shan-Chen multiphase flow to simulate the growth and motions of bubbles in the liquid phase,which includes the interaction between solid-liquid-gas phases.The simulation results show that during the directional growth of columnar dendrites,bubbles first precipitate out slowly at the very bottom of the dendrites,and then rise up due to the different solid-liquid densities and pressure differences.The bubbles will interact with the dendrite in the process of flow migration,such as extrusion,overflow,fusion and disappearance.In the case of wide gaps in the dendrite channels,bubbles will fuse to form larger irregular bubbles,and in the case of dense channels,bubbles will deform due to the extrusion of dendrites.In the simulated region,as the dendrites converge and diverge,the bubbles precipitate out of the dendrites by compression and diffusion,which also causes physical phenomena such as fusion and spillage of the bubbles.These results reveal the physical mechanisms of bubble nucleation,growth and kinematic evolution during solidification and interaction with dendrite growth.

Numerical simulation on the multiphase flow and reoxidation of the molten steel in a two-strand tundish during ladle change

A 3D mathematical model was proposed to investigate the molten steel–slag–air multiphase flow in a two-strand slab continuous casting(CC)tundish during ladle change.The study focused on the exposure of the molten steel and the subsequent reoxidation occurrence.The exposure of the molten steel was calculated using the coupled realizable k–εmodel and volume of fluid(VOF)model.The diffusion of dissolved oxygen was determined by solving the user-defined scalar(UDS)equation.Moreover,the user-defined function(UDF)was used to describe the source term in the UDS equation and determine the oxidation rate and oxidation position.The effect of the refilling speed on the molten steel exposure and dissolved oxygen content was also discussed.Increasing the refilling speed during ladle change reduced the refilling time and the exposure duration of the molten steel.However,the elevated refilling speed enlarged the slag eyes and increased the average dissolved oxygen content within the tundish,thereby exacerbating the reoxidation phenomenon.In addition,the time required for the molten steel with a high dissolved oxygen content to exit the tundish varied with the refilling speed.When the inlet speed was 3.0 m·s^(-1)during ladle change,the molten steel with a high dissolved oxygen content exited the outlet in a short period,reaching a maximum dissolved oxygen content of 0.000525wt%.Conversely,when the inlet speed was 1.8 m·s^(-1),the maximum dissolved oxygen content was 0.000382wt%.The refilling speed during the ladle change process must be appropriately decreased to minimize reoxidation effects and enhance the steel product quality.

Microstructure and mechanical properties of a cast TRIP-assisted multiphase stainless steel

Stainless steels are used in a wide range of complex environments due to their excellent corrosion resistance.Multiphase stainless steels can offer an excellent combination of strength,toughness and corrosion resistance due to the coexistence of different microstructures.The microstructure and mechanical properties of a novel cast multiphase stainless steel,composed of martensite,ferrite,and austenite,were investigated following appropriate heat treatment processes:solution treatment at 1,050℃ for 0.5 h followed by water quenching to room temperature,and aging treatment at 500℃ for 4 h followed by water quenching to room temperature.Results show reversed austenite is formed by diffusion of Ni element during aging process,and the enrichment of Ni atoms directly determines the mechanical stability of austenite.The austenite with a lower Ni content undergoes a martensitic transformation during plastic deformation.The tensile strength of the specimen exceeds 1,100 MPa and the elongation exceeds 24%after solid solution,and further increases to 1,247 MPa and 25%after aging treatment.This enhancement is due to the TRIP effect of austenite and the precipitation of the nanoscale G-phase pinning dislocations in ferrite and martensite.

Degradation of ciprofloxacin hydrochloride in a multiphase mixed system by subaquatic gas-liquid discharge plasma

In recent years, antibiotic pollution has become a serious threat to human health. In this study, a gas-liquid discharge plasma is developed to degrade ciprofloxacin hydrochloride in a multiphase mixed system containing inorganic and organic impurities. The discharge characteristics are analyzed by diagnosing the applied voltage and discharge current waveforms, as well as the optical emission spectra. The work investigates how degradation efficiency is affected by applied voltage, gas flow rate, treatment time, initial concentration as well as the addition of γ-Al_(2)O_(3) pellets and peanut straw. After 70 min, the degradation efficiency of ciprofloxacin hydrochloride in the multiphase mixed system reached 99.6%. Its removal efficiency increases as the initial concentration decreases and the applied voltage increases. Besides, there is still a good degradation efficiency of ciprofloxacin hydrochloride with the addition of peanut straw.The degradation mechanism of ciprofloxacin hydrochloride is investigated through the analysis of degraded intermediates and reactive species.

A new interacting capillary bundle model on the multiphase flow in micropores of tight rocks

Surfactants are widely used in the fracturing fluid to enhance the imbibition and thus the oil recovery rate. However, current numerical models cannot capture the physics behind capillary imbibition during the wettability alteration by surfactants. Although the interacting capillary bundle(ICB) model shows potential in characterizing imbibition rates in different pores during wettability alteration, the existing ICB models neglect the influence of wettability and viscosity ratio on the imbibition behavior, making it difficult to accurately describe the oil-water imbibition behavior within the porous media. In this work,a new ICB mathematical model is established by introducing pressure balance without assuming the position of the leading front to comprehensively describe the imbibition behavior in a porous medium under different conditions, including gas-liquid spontaneous imbibition and oil-water imbibition.When the pore size distribution of a tight rock is known, this new model can predict the changes of water saturation during the displacement process in the tight rock, and also determine the imbibition rate in pores of different sizes. The water saturation profiles obtained from the new model are validated against the waterflooding simulation results from the CMG, while the imbibition rates calculated by the model are validated against the experimental observations of gas-liquid spontaneous imbibition. The good match above indicates the newly proposed model can show the water saturation profile at a macroscopic scale while capture the underlying physics of the multiphase flow in a porous medium at a microscopic scale. Simulation results obtained from this model indicate that both wettability and viscosity ratio can affect the sequence of fluid imbibition into pores of different sizes during the multiphase flow, where less-viscous wetting fluid is preferentially imbibed into larger pores while more-viscous wetting fluid tends to be imbibed into smaller pores. Furthermore, this model provides an avenue to calculate the imbibition rate in pores of different sizes during wettability alteration and capture the non-Darcy effect in micro-and nano-scale pores.

Influence of pressure disturbance wave on dynamic response characteristics of liquid film seal for multiphase pump

Slug flow or high GVF(Gas Volume Fraction)conditions can cause pressure disturbance waves and alternating loads at the boundary of mechanical seals for multiphase pumps,endangering the safety of multiphase pump units.The mechanical seal model is simplified by using periodic boundary conditions and numerical calculations are carried out based on the Zwart-Gerber-Belamri cavitation model.UDF(User Define Function)programs such as structural dynamics equations,alternating load equations,and pressure disturbance equations are embedded in numerical calculations,and the dynamic response characteristics of mechanical seal are studied using layered dynamic mesh technology.The results show that when the pressure disturbance occurs at the inlet,as the amplitude and period of the disturbance increase,the film thickness gradually decreases.And the fundamental reason for the hysteresis of the film thickness change is that the pressure in the high-pressure area cannot be restored in a timely manner.The maximum value of leakage and the minimum value of axial velocity are independent of the disturbance period and determined by the disturbance amplitude.The mutual interference between enhanced waves does not have a significant impact on the film thickness,while the front wave in the attenuated wave has a promoting effect on the subsequent film thickness changes,and the fluctuation of the liquid film cavitation rate and axial velocity under the attenuated wave condition deviates from the initial values.Compared with pressure disturbance conditions,alternating load conditions have a more significant impact on film thickness and leakage.During actual operation,it is necessary to avoid alternating load conditions in multiphase pump mechanical seals.

A transient production prediction method for tight condensate gas wells with multiphase flow

Considering the phase behaviors in condensate gas reservoirs and the oil-gas two-phase linear flow and boundary-dominated flow in the reservoir,a method for predicting the relationship between oil saturation and pressure in the full-path of tight condensate gas well is proposed,and a model for predicting the transient production from tight condensate gas wells with multiphase flow is established.The research indicates that the relationship curve between condensate oil saturation and pressure is crucial for calculating the pseudo-pressure.In the early stage of production or in areas far from the wellbore with high reservoir pressure,the condensate oil saturation can be calculated using early-stage production dynamic data through material balance models.In the late stage of production or in areas close to the wellbore with low reservoir pressure,the condensate oil saturation can be calculated using the data of constant composition expansion test.In the middle stages of production or when reservoir pressure is at an intermediate level,the data obtained from the previous two stages can be interpolated to form a complete full-path relationship curve between oil saturation and pressure.Through simulation and field application,the new method is verified to be reliable and practical.It can be applied for prediction of middle-stage and late-stage production of tight condensate gas wells and assessment of single-well recoverable reserves.

Implementation of a particle-in-cell method for the energy solver in 3D spherical geodynamic modeling

The thermal evolution of the Earth’s interior and its dynamic effects are the focus of Earth sciences.However,the commonly adopted grid-based temperature solver is usually prone to numerical oscillations,especially in the presence of sharp thermal gradients,such as when modeling subducting slabs and rising plumes.This phenomenon prohibits the correct representation of thermal evolution and may cause incorrect implications of geodynamic processes.After examining several approaches for removing these numerical oscillations,we show that the Lagrangian method provides an ideal way to solve this problem.In this study,we propose a particle-in-cell method as a strategy for improving the solution to the energy equation and demonstrate its effectiveness in both one-dimensional and three-dimensional thermal problems,as well as in a global spherical simulation with data assimilation.We have implemented this method in the open-source finite-element code CitcomS,which features a spherical coordinate system,distributed memory parallel computing,and data assimilation algorithms.

A semi-analytical rate-transient analysis model for light oil reservoirs exhibiting reservoir heterogeneity and multiphase flow

Rate-transient analysis(RTA)has been widely applied to extract estimates of reservoir/hydraulic fracture properties.However,the majority of RTA techniques can lead to misdiagnosis of reservoir/fracture information when the reservoir exhibits reservoir heterogeneity and multiphase flow simultaneously.This work proposes a practical-yet-rigorous method to decouple the effects of reservoir heterogeneity and multiphase flow during TLF,and improve the evaluation of reservoir/fracture properties.A new,general,semi-analytical model is proposed that explicitly accounts for multiphase flow,fractalbased reservoir heterogeneity,anomalous diffusion,and pressure-dependent fluid properties.This is achieved by introducing a new Boltzmann-type transformation,the exponent of which includes reservoir heterogeneity and anomalous diffusion.In order to decouple the effects of reservoir heterogeneity and multiphase flow during TLF,the modified Boltzmann variable allows the conversion of three partial differential equations(PDE's)(i.e.,oil,gas and water diffusion equations)into ordinary differential equations(ODE's)that are easily solved using the Runge-Kutta(RK)method.A modified time-power-law plot is also proposed to estimate the reservoir and fracture properties,recognizing that the classical square-root-of-time-plot is no longer valid when various reservoir complexities are exhibited simultaneously.Using the slope of the straight line on the modified time-power-law plot,the linear flow parameter can be estimated with more confidence.Moreover,because of the new Boltzmann-type transformation,reservoir and fracture properties can be derived more efficiently without the need for defining complex pseudo-variable transformations.Using the new semi-analytical model,the effects of multiphase flow,reservoir heterogeneity and anomalous diffusion on rate-decline behavior are evaluated.For the case of approximately constant flowing pressure,multiphase flow impacts initial oil rate,which is a function of oil relative permeability and well flowing pressure.However,multiphase flow has a minor effect on the oil production decline exponent.Reservoir heterogeneity/anomalous diffusion affect both the initial oil production rate and production decline exponent.The production decline exponent constant is a function of reservoir heterogeneity/anomalous diffusion only.The practical significance of this work is the advancement of RTA techniques to allow for more complex reservoir scenarios,leading to more accurate production forecasting and better-informed capital planning.

Effect of gas blowing nozzle angle on multiphase flow and mass transfer during RH refining process

A three-dimensional mathematical model was developed to investigate the effect of gas blowing nozzle angles on multiphase flow,circulation flow rate,and mixing time during Ruhrstahl-Heraeus(RH) refining process.Also,a water model with a geometric scale of 1:4 from an industrial RH furnace of 260 t was built up,and measurements were carried out to validate the mathematical model.The results show that,with a conventional gas blowing nozzle and the total gas flow rate of 40 L·min^(-1),the mixing time predicted by the mathematical model agrees well with the measured values.The deviations between the model predictions and the measured values are in the range of about 1.3%–7.3% at the selected three monitoring locations,where the mixing time was defined as the required time when the dimensionless concentration is within 3% deviation from the bath averaged value.In addition,the circulation flow rate was 9 kg·s^(-1).When the gas blowing nozzle was horizontally rotated by either 30° or 45°,the circulation flow rate was found to be increased by about 15% compared to a conventional nozzle,due to the rotational flow formed in the up-snorkel.Furthermore,the mixing time at the monitoring point 1,2,and 3 was shortened by around 21.3%,28.2%,and 12.3%,respectively.With the nozzle angle of 30° and 45°,the averaged residence time of 128 bubbles in liquid was increased by around 33.3%.

Experimental research and application of cold cutting to hot stamping parts based on multiphase microstructure

Among the bottlenecks that hinder the improvement of the production efficiency of hot stamping are high strength and difficulty in edge cutting and hole punching.Starting from the preparation of hot stamping multiphase microstructure materials,this paper developed a plate quenching die system with controllable surface temperature and prepared four types of hot stamping plates with different martensite volume fractions.Then,straight edge cold cutting experiments were performed to study the influence of cutting clearance and cutting force on fracture quality.The results show that the bright zone is the largest when the cutting clearance is 0.14 mm,and the cutting experience coefficient of the hot stamping sheet with each martensite volume fraction is obtained when the cutting clearance is 0.14 mm.The research results of this paper were applied to the production of hot stamping parts.

Microscopic cracking behaviors of rocks under uniaxial compression with microscopic multiphase heterogeneity by deep learning

Cracking behaviors of rocks significantly affect the safety and stability of the explorations of underground space and deep resources.To understand deeply the microscopic cracking process and mechanical property of rocks,X-ray micro-computed tomography(X-μCT)is applied to capture the rock microstructures.The digital color difference UNet(DCD-UNet)-based deep learning algorithm with 3D reconstruction is proposed to reconstruct the multiphase heterogeneity microstructure models of rocks.The microscopic cracking and mechanical properties are studied based on the proposed microstructure-based peridynamic model.Results show that the DCD-UNet algorithm is more effective to recognize and to represent the microscopic multiphase heterogeneity of rocks.As damage characteristic index of multiphase rocks increases,transgranular cracks in the same grain phase,transgranular and intergranular cracks of pore-grain phase,intergranular and secondary transgranular cracks and transgranular crack between different grains propagate.The ultimate microscopic failure modes of rocks are mainly controlled by the transgranular cracks-based T1-shear,T3-shear,T1-tension,T2-tension and T3-tension failures,and the intergranular cracks-based T1-tension,T1-shear and T3-shear failures under uniaxial compression.

Speeding-up direct implicit particle-in-cell simulations in bounded plasma by obtaining future electric field through explicitly propulsion of particles

The direct implicit particle-in-cell is a powerful kinetic method for researching plasma characteristics.However,it is time-consuming to obtain the future electromagnetic field in such a method since the field equations contain time-dependent matrix coefficients.In this work,we propose to explicitly push particles and obtain the future electromagnetic field based on the information about the particles in the future.The new method retains the form of implicit particle pusher,but the future field is obtained by solving the traditional explicit equation.Several numerical experiments,including the motion of charged particle in electromagnetic field,plasma sheath,and free diffusion of plasma into vacuum,are implemented to evaluate the performance of the method.The results demonstrate that the proposed method can suppress finite-grid-instability resulting from the coarse spatial resolution in electron Debye length through the strong damping of high-frequency plasma oscillation,while accurately describe low-frequency plasma phenomena,with the price of losing the numerical stability at large time-step.We believe that this work is helpful for people to research the bounded plasma by using particle-in-cell simulations.

Numerical simulation study on multiphase flow pattern of hydrate slurry

The research on the multiphase flow characteristics of hydrate slurry is the key to implementing the risk prevention and control technology of hydrate slurry in deep-water oil and gas mixed transportation system.This paper established a geometric model based on the high-pressure hydrate slurry experimental loop.The model was used to carry out simulation research on the flow characteristics of gas-liquid-solid three-phase flow.The specific research is as follows:Firstly,the effects of factors such as slurry flow velocity,hydrate particle density,hydrate particle size,and hydrate volume fraction on the stratified smooth flow were specifically studied.Orthogonal test obtained particle size has the most influence on the particle concentration distribution.The slurry flow velocity is gradually increased based on stratified smooth flow.Various flow patterns were observed and their characteristics were analyzed.Secondly,increasing the slurry velocity to 2 m/s could achieve the slurry flow pattern of partial hydrate in the pipeline transition from stratified smooth flow to wavy flow.When the flow rate increases to 3 m/s,a violent wave forms throughout the entire loop.Based on wave flow,as the velocity increased to 4 m/s,and the flow pattern changed to slug flow.When the particle concentration was below 10%,the increase of the concentration would aggravate the slug flow trend;if the particle concentration was above 10%,the increase of the concentration would weaken the slug flow trend,the increase of particle density and liquid viscosity would weaken the tendency of slug flow.The relationship between the pressure drop gradients of several different flow patterns is:slug flow>wave flow>stratified smooth flow.

Tribological properties of nanostructured Al_2O_3-40%TiO_2 multiphase ceramic particles reinforced Ni-based alloy composite coatings

The Ni-based alloy composite coatings reinforced by nanostructured Al2O3-40%TiO2 multiphase ceramic particles were prepared on the surface of 7005 aluminum alloy by plasma spray technology. The microstructure and tribological properties of the composite coatings were researched. The results show that the composite coatings mainly consist of γ-Ni, α-Al2O3, γ-Al2O3 and rutile-TiO2 etc, and exhibit lower friction coefficients and wear losses than the Ni-based alloy coatings at different loads and speeds. The composite coating bears low contact stress at 3 N and its wear mechanism is micro-cutting wear. As loads increase to 6-12 N, the contact stress is higher than the elastic limit stress of worn surface, and the wear mechanisms change into multi-plastic deformation wear, micro-brittle fracture wear and abrasive wear. With the increase of speeds, the contact temperature of worn surface increases. The composite coating experiences multi-plastic deformation wear, fatigue wear and adhesive wear.

Experimental verification of mathematical model for multiphase flow in air-agitated seed precipitation tank

In order to check the validity of the mathematical model for analyzing the flow field in the air-agitated seed precipitation tank,a scaled down experimental apparatus was designed and the colored tracer and KCl tracer were added in the apparatus to follow the real flow line.Virtue tracers were considered in the mathematical model and the algorithm of tracers was built.The comparison of the results between the experiment and numerical calculation shows that the time of the tracer flows out of stirring tube are 40 s in the experiment and 42 s in numerical calculated result.The transient diffusion process and the solution residence time of the numerical calculation are in good agreement with the experimental results,which indicates that the mathematical model is reliable and can be used to predict the flow field of the air-agitated seed precipitation tank.

Thermodynamic consistent phase field model for sintering process with multiphase powders

A thermodynamic consistent phase field model is developed to describe the sintering process with multiphase powders. In this model, the interface region is assumed to be a mixture of different phases with the same chemical potential, but with different compositions. The interface diffusion and boundary diffusion are also considered in the model. As an example, the model is applied to the sintering process with Fe-Cu powders. The free energy of each phase is described by the well-developed thermodynamic models, together with the published optimized parameters. The microstructure and solute distribution during the sintering process can both be obtained quantitively.

PYRAMIDAL MULTIPHASE LEVEL SET FRAMEWORK FOR BRAIN TUMOR DETECTION USING GENERALIZED TECHNIQUE OF PAINTING BACKGROUND

The pyramidal multiphase level set framework （PMLSF） based on the technique of painting background （TPBG） and the Chan-Vese model can detect multiple objects on a given image. However, the boundaries of the sub-object obtained by PMLSF-TPBG are not variable since a specialcolor parameter is used in TPBG. To solve the problem, a new technique utilizing a varying parameter is proposed to ensure that PMLSF is effective for the detection of the desired boundaries of the sub-object. The interval of the variable color parameter is proved and the effects of the parameter are also discussed. Experimental results for the brain tumor detection show that different boundaries of the brain tumors can be detected with different color parameters. It is especially useful for clinical diagnoses.