Study and Application of Mold Filling Simulation of Shaped Castings

In this paper, an algorithm for simulating fluid flow and heat transfer for mold filling of shaped castings is presented. The main features of the algorithm include: 1) a simple but practical technique based on VOF method to determine free surface, 2) an explicit scheme of enthalpy to solve the energy equation more efficiently, and 3) an effective treatment to modify the flux deviation due to pressure iteration. In order to verify these methods, well controlled experiments have been repeatedly done with both water analog and gray iron pouring experiments to record the flow patterns and temperature variations. The calculated results are in accordance with the experimental ones. For the applications, the simulated initial temperature distribution right after mold filling was used to analyse subsequent solidification and to predict shrinkage defects. Actual castings were poured and tested in a foundry plant. The reuslts show that the defects predication with considering fluid flow effects is more precise than that without considering the effects.

STUDY ON MACRO AND MICRO MODELING ON SOLIDIFICATION PROCESS OF SHAPED CASTING

Facing the market economy and global challenge the development ofmanufacturing industry especially casting industry is critical to the national economy. To reformthe traditional casting industry by using computer technology is one of the hottest researchfrontiers studied by many researchers and engineers. Computer simulation of solidification processof shaped casting can assure the quality of casting, optimize the casting technology, shorten thelead time and therefore decrease the developing and manufacturing cost. Recently, numericalsimulation of mold-filling and solidification processes of shaped casting and prediction ofmicrostructure and property as well are extensively studied and put into application in many castingplants with many successful simulation cases.

Effects of microalloying on grain refinement behaviors and hardness properties of wedge-shaped Al-Mg-Mn castings

The effects of microalloying elements Ti,Sc,Zr and Er on grain refinement behaviors and hardness properties of wedge-shaped Al-Mg-Mn alloy castings were investigated. The results indicate that alloys containing Sc and Zr can remarkably reduce the grain sizes of Al-Mg-Mn castings. Combination of Sc,Zr and Er can completely eliminate the columnar dendritic grains and further obtain refined grains with nondendritic sub-structure;the whole wedge-shaped cross-section of the casting consequently exhibits more homogeneous cast structures instead of the typical tri-crystal region structures. Large amounts of Al3Sc-based intermetallic compound particles,such as Al3(Sc1-x,Zrx),Al3(Sc1-x,Tix),Al3(Sc1-x-y,Zrx,Tiy) and Al3(Sc1-x-y,Zrx,Ery) are present in the microalloyed alloys,resulting from their numerously forming in high-temperature melt before solidification. These phases have the same L12-type crystal structure to Al3Sc phase as well as smaller misfits with the primary α(Al) grains,which leads to more efficient epitaxial growth for α(Al) grains on all crystal planes of these composite phases. The experimental alloys have been hardened in different levels and,show the low susceptibilities of hardness change with varying cooling rate. The high hardness of the castings are caused by grain-refined strengthening and solid solution strengthening.

Near net shape casting process for producing high strength 6xxx aluminum alloy automobile suspension parts

The automobile suspension parts of a high strength 6xxx aluminum alloy were produced using a novel technique known as near net shape casting for forging stock preparation. Based on the outline dimension of the forging stock, the shape of the ingot was designed as the near net shape and its casting process was studied by the numerical simulation and experimental investigation. The results show that the shrinkage of the ingot was highly correlated to its shape parameters and could be successfully forecast by the stimulation model. The casting parameters of the near net shape ingot were optimized and the near net shape 6xxx aluminum alloy ingots free of defects were cast in the laboratory. In order to obtain high performance forged suspension parts, the hot compression tests of the ingot were carried out. The results show that the subgrain fraction of the forged ingot was strongly affected by Zener-Hollomon parameters （Z parameters）. The intermediate Z parameters, 1.09×10^16 s^-1, will contribute to the larger number fraction of subgrains inside the forged ingot, which contributes to the high performance of the forged products.

Anchor-Shaped Design of a Submerged Entry Nozzle for the Continuous Casting of Steel

An anchor-shaped geometrical design for a Submerged Entry Nozzle for the slab continuous casting of steel is presented in this work. To evaluate its performance, transient 3D multiphase numerical simulations were carried out using the Computational Fluid Dynamics technique. The performance of the proposed nozzle is numerically compared with that of a conventional cylindrical nozzle. Computer results show that the chance of formation of Karman’s vortexes and powder entrapment becomes small for the anchor-shaped SEN.

Rotary bending fatigue behavior of A356 –T6 aluminum alloys by vacuum pressurizing casting

Vacuum pressurizing casting technique, providing better mould filling and inter-dendritic feeding, can reduce the porosity greatly in cast aluminum alloys, and improve the fatigue properties. The rotary bending fatigue properties of A356-T6 alloys prepared by vacuum pressurizing casting were investigated. The S-N curve and limit strength 90 MPa under fatigue life of 107 cycles were obtained. The analyses on the fatigue fractography and microstructure of specimens showed that the fatigue fracture mainly occurs at the positions with casting defects in the subsurface, especially at porosities regions, which attributed to the crack propagation during the fatigue fracture process. Using the empirical crack propagation law of Pairs-Erdogon, the quantitative relationship among the initial crack size, fatigue life and applied stress was established. The fatigue life decreases with an increase in initial crack size. Two constants in the Pairs-Erdogon equation of aluminum alloy A356-T6 were calculated using the experimental data.

Latest advances and developments in aluminum shape casting

With the increasing use of aluminum shape castings in structural applications in the automotive and aerospace industries,assurance of cast product integrity and performance has become critical in both design and manufacturing.In this paper,the latest understanding of the relationship between casting quality and mechanical properties of aluminum castings is summarized.Newly developed technologies for alloy design,melting and melt treatment,casting and heat treatment processes in aluminum casting are reviewed.The mechanical properties of aluminum castings strongly depend upon their microstructure constituents and particularly cast defect population and distribution.To produce quality castings with quantifiable properties,the key is to control multi-scale defects and microstructure in the casting.Robust design and development of high integrity aluminum castings through Integrated Computational Materials Engineering(ICME) approach is also discussed.The most effective way to optimize the processes and achieve the desirable mechanical properties is through the development and exploitation of robust and accurate multi-scale computational models.

EFFECT OF SUBMERGED ENTRY NOZZLE (SEN) PARAMETERS AND SHAPE ON 3-D FLUID FLOW IN MOULD FOR BEAM BLANK CONTINUOUS CASTING

According to turbulent theory and characteristics of beam blank continuous casting, 3-D model to represent the flow of beam blank mould is established. The predicted results indicate that the exit obliquity of up 15°(+15°) should be adopted, which will benefit the floatation of non-metallic inclusion and purification of the molten steel. When the nozzle angle is 120°, the flow pattern is reasonable. Proper nozzle depth can be 200mm. Turbulent kinetic of meniscus can be reduced by adopting the square nozzle and suitable area of side outlet when casting speed increases. The results are consistent with those of water model experiment, so the model is exact and reasonable. The model can provide important information for design of SEN and defining of immersion depth.

A coupled model on fluid flow,heat transfer and solidification in continuous casting mold

Fluid flow, heat transfer and solidification of steel in the mold are so complex but crucial, determining the surface quality of the continuous casting slab. In the current study, a 2D numerical model was established by Fluent software to simulate the fluid flow, heat transfer and solidification of the steel in the mold. The VOF model and k-ε model were applied to simulate the flow field of the three phases(steel, slag and air), and solidification model was used to simulate the solidification process. The phenomena at the meniscus were also explored through interfacial tension between the liquid steel and slag as well as the mold oscillation. The model included a 20 mm thick mold to clarify the heat transfer and the temperature distribution of the mold. The simulation results show that the liquid steel flows as upper backflow and lower backflow in the mold, and that a small circulation forms at the meniscus. The liquid slag flows away from the corner at the meniscus or infiltrates into the gap between the mold and the shell with the mold oscillating at the negative strip stage or at the positive strip stage. The simulated pitch and the depth of oscillation marks approximate to the theoretical pitch and measured depth on the slab.

Evaluation of Alpha-case in Titanium Castings

The alpha-case formation reactions between Ti and investment molds （Al-2O-3,ZrSiO-4,ZrO-2,CaO stabilized ZrO-2） were evaluated in a plasma arc melting furnace.Regardless of thermodynamic approaches,there were distinct alpha-case formations.The reaction products were characterized by electron probe micro-analysis and transmission electron microscopy.Theα-case generation between Ti and Al-2O-3 mold was not able to be explained by the conventionalα-case formation mechanism,which is known to be formed by the interstitials,especially oxygen dissolved from mold materials.However,from our experimental results and thermodynamic calculations,it was confirmed that theα-case is formed not only by an interstitial element but also by substitutional metallic elements dissolved from mold materials.Our newly establishedα-case formation mechanism will surely lead to a variety of significant applications of theα-case controlled Ti casting.

Filling mode and regularity of vertical centrifugal casting process of titanium alloy in thin-walled cylinder cavity

The mold filling process of titanium alloy in a thin-walled cylinder cavity under vertical centrifugal casting process was studied by means of the hydraulic simulation experiments. Results show that the filling mode of the melt in the cylinder cavity varies with casting wall-thickness. When the casting wall-thickness is less than or equal to the thickness of the first layer during the filling process, the melts fill the cavity from the bottom to the top.When the casting wall-thickness is greater than the thickness of the first layer during the filling process, the melts first fill the largest radius parts of the cavity with a certain thickness of the first layer from the bottom to the top of the cavity, and then they fill the cavity from the larger radius part to the smaller radius part. The melt filling ability increases with the increment of the mold rotational speed and the pouring temperature. In another aspect, the melt filling ability rises with the decrement of the melt viscosity, and the melt with the better filling ability is prone to fill the cylinder cavity layer by layer.

Strength distribution at interface of rotary-friction-welded aluminum to nodular cast iron

The morphology,size and composition of intermetallic compound at the interface of Al 1050 and nodular cast iron were studied by electron microprobe analysis(EMPA)and scan electron microscopy(SEM),respectively.The bond strength of the interface was measured by the tensile tests and the morphology of the fracture surface was observed by SEM.The observation of the interface reveals that there are two distinct morphologies:no intermetallic compound exists in the central area at the interface;while numbers of intermetallic compounds(FexAly)are formed in the peripheral area due to the overfull heat input.The tensile tests indicate that the distribution of strength in radial direction at the interface is inhomogeneous,and the central area of the interface performs greater bond strength than the peripheral area,which proves directly that the FexAly intermetallic compounds have a negative effect on the integration of interface.The morphology on the fracture surface shows that the facture in the central area at the interface has characteristic of the ductile micro-void facture.So it is important to restrain the form of the intermetallic compound to increase the bond strength of the Al 1050 and nodular cast iron by optimizing welding parameters and the geometry of components.

Development and investigation of electroslag continuous casting

The principle and technological design of electroslag continuous casting （ESCC）, including bifilar mode, T-shaped mould, and metal level detecting system, are detailed. Remelting was carded out for 1Crl8Ni9Ti stainless steel with ESCC. The surface finish, chemical composition, macroand microstructures, and inclusions of the remelted billets were characterized. ESCC reduces the cost and increases the productivity in comparison to traditional ESR, while achieves comparably excellent products.

Application of Integrated Database to the Casting Design

Construction of integrated database including casting shapes with their casting design, technical knowledge, and thermophysical properties of the casting alloys were introduced in the present study. Recognition tech- nique for casting design by industrial computer tomography was used for the construction of shape database. Technical knowledge of the casting processes such as ferrous and non-ferrous alloys and their manufacturing process of the castings were accumulated and the search engine for the knowledge was developed. Database of thermophysical properties of the casting alloys were obtained via the experimental study, and the properties were used for the in-house computer simulation of casting process. The databases were linked with intelligent casting expert system developed in center for e-design, KITECH. It is expected that the databases can help non casting experts to devise the casting and its process. Various examples of the application by using the databases were shown in the present study.

Lab experiments on the innovative rapid thick strip casting process

Rapid thick strip casting （RTSC） by Anton Hulek, Inventmetall, is an innovative concept for the production of hot strips with a final as-cast thickness of about 25 mm before rolling. The innovation of the mechanism consists in a vertical mould performing a caterpillar motion. This moving mould has an unconventional parallelogram-shaped cross-section. The conventional rectangular shape is formed in the shaping machine, which is placed straight below the mould. Further elements of the technology are state-of-the-art. For the investigation of this new casting system theoretical calculations were complemented with practical experiments. The investigation focused mainly on two key aspects： the characteristics of the mould and the shaping process. For the practical analysis a static mould with three pairs of elements in laboratory scale was developed and commissioned by the Dept. of Ferrous Metallurgy @ RWTH Aachen University. The shaping experiments were carried out in model scale with two different materials and in variable boundary conditions. The results of these experiments delivered important mechanical as well as thermal informations about the casting system.

Control of liquid column height in electromagnetic casting with fuzzy neural network model

The control of suitable and stable height of liquid column is the crucial point to operate the electromagnetic casting(EMC) process and to obtain ingots with desirable shape and dimensional accuracy. But due to the complicated interact parameters and special circumstances, the measure and control of liquid column are quite difficult. A fuzzy neural network was used to help control the liquid column by predicting its height on line. The results show that the stabilization of the height of liquid column and surface quality of the ingot are remarkably improved by using the neural network based control system.

高水位流沙层地质下旋挖灌注桩施工技术研究

随着桩基技术的发展与新技术的推广应用,桩基工程对施工的质量、经济性、安全性、高效性等也提出了多方面的要求。旋挖灌注桩因具有工作效率高、环保性强、泥浆排放量少、现场施工文明化水平高等特性,能够适应桩基工程的需求,受到了建设单位及施工单位的一致青睐。而随着施工场景的复杂化,常规的旋挖灌注桩工艺已无法满足工程需求,必须结合工程现状,制订契合工程需求的工艺体系。本研究从施工工艺创新角度出发,提出了解决以上复杂环境的方法,具有一定的推广价值。

基于似然函数筛选法的旋转轴唇形密封可靠性关键设计因素研究

基于油封的有限元和数值计算模型,分析油封的设计参数对其静态和动态密封可靠性的影响规律。将油封的初始安装过盈量、油侧唇角、空气侧唇角、腰厚、腰长、理论接触宽度、卡紧弹簧的弹性模量、油封主体橡胶的硬度8个设计参数的标准化数据作为输入向量,将油封唇口最大接触压力、泵吸率和摩擦扭矩的标准化数据作为输出向量,建立响应面模型,以输出向量方差得到各设计因素的似然函数值作为评判指标,确定各设计参数对油封密封可靠性的影响程度。结果表明:橡胶硬度、理论接触宽度、弹簧弹性模量、过盈量、腰长对油封动态密封可靠性的影响较显著,油封唇口最大接触压力对弹簧弹性模量、理论接触宽度、橡胶硬度、腰厚、油侧唇角较敏感。综合考虑旋转轴唇形油封的静态和动态可靠性,得到影响其可靠性的关键设计因素为理论接触宽度、弹簧弹性模量和橡胶硬度。

双膛石灰竖窑粉尘排放特性及控制技术研究

分析了石灰双膛竖窑在泄压过程中的粉尘排放特性,初始冲击波压力过高导致烟气无法直连布袋除尘器,这是造成粉尘污染的主要原因。弄清了初始冲击波的形成、传播与演化行为特征,比对了延长直管长度、增加弯管数量、增加变径结构与泄压腔体三种方式对冲击波压力的衰减效果,提出了一种基于压块泄压阀的柔性泄压直联布袋技术,将放散烟气初始冲击波压力由8 kPa降至1 kPa,达到烟气直连布袋、环境粉尘污染得到大幅改善的效果。同时,针对粉尘在阀体和管道中易沉降的难题,提出了一种基于3通内旋阀的扇形旋塞防沉降技术,解决了粉尘在阀体与管道系统内的沉降难题。

襄阳东站钢屋盖超多杆连接节点设计与足尺模型试验研究

襄阳东站屋盖南北向长358m,东西向最大跨度86m,采用焊接球钢网架,整体不设变形缝,南端开设瀑布造型大洞口,由于屋盖结构超长、不连续、大悬挑及瀑布造型使得钢屋盖空间受力十分复杂,特在分叉柱柱顶沿南北向设置加强杆以加强屋盖瀑布区洞口两侧边缘约束刚度及改善结构整体受力性能。钢屋盖瀑布区悬挑端分叉柱柱顶节点相连杆件达12根之多,该节点作为屋盖结构的关键节点,其受力状态尤为复杂,创新地采用了半铸造半相贯焊连接形式并采取了构造加强措施,针对该超多杆连接节点进行了足尺模型加载试验验证,详细介绍了试验加载装置、加载方案、试验现象及试验结果,并进行了有限元对比分析。结果表明有限元对比分析结果与加载试验吻合较好;该超多杆半铸造半相贯焊连接节点构造合理、承载力高,薄弱部位出现在与铸造本体相连的接长钢管上,满足强节点弱构件、强连接弱构件的设计要求。