Numerical simulation of the preparation of semi-solid metal slurry with damper cooling tube method

In semi-solid forming process, preparing the slurry with rosette or globular microstructure is very important. A new approach named the damper cooling tube method （DCT）, to produce the semi-solid metal slurry, has been introduced. To optimize the technical parameters in designing the apparatus, the finite volume method was adopted to simulate the flow process. The temperature effects on the rheological properties of the slurries were also considered. The effects of the technical parameters on the slurry properties were studied in detail.

SIMUUTION OF ELECTROMAGNETIC TUBE BULGING BASED ON LOOSE COUPLING METHOD

A loose coupling method is used to solve the electromagnetic tube bulging. ANSYS/ EMAG is used to model the time varying electromagnetic field with the discharge current used as excitation, in order to obtain the radial and axial magnetic pressure acting on the tube, the magnetic pressure is then used as boundary conditions to model the high velocity deformation of tube with DYNAFORM, The radial magnetic pressure on the tube decreases from the center to the tube end, axial magnetic pressure is greater near the location equal to the coil height and slight in the other region. The radial displacement of deformed workpicces is distributed uniformly near the tube center and decreases from the center to the end; Deformation from the location equal to coil height to the tube end is little. This distribution is consistent with the distribution of radial pressure; Effect of the axial magnetic pressure on deformation can be ignored, The calculated results show well agreements with the experimental results.

Pico–nano bubble column flotation using static mixer-venturi tube for Pittsburgh No.8 coal seam

The flotation process is a particle-hydrophobic surface-based separation technique. To improve the essential flotation steps of collision and attachment probabilities, and reduce the step of detachment probabilities between air bubbles and hydrophobic particles, a selectively designed cavitation venturi tube combined with a static mixer can be used to generate very high numbers of pico and nano bubbles in a flotation column. Fully embraced by those high numbers of tiny bubbles, hydrophobic particles readily attract the tiny bubbles to their surfaces. The results of column flotation of Pittsburgh No. 8 seam coal are obtained in a 5.08 cm ID and 162 cm height flotation column equipped with a static mixer and cavitation venturi tube, using kerosene as collector and MIBC as frother. Design of the experimental procedure is combined with a statistical two-stepwise analysis to determine the optimal operating conditions for maximum recovery at a specified grade. The effect of independent variables on the responses has been explained. Combustible material recovery of 85–90% at clean coal product of 10–11% ash is obtained from feed of 29.6% ash, with a much-reduced amount of frother and collector than that used in conventional column flotation. The column flotation process utilizing pico and nano bubbles can also be extended to the lower limit and upper limit of particle size ranges, minus 75 lm and 300–600 lm, respectively, for better recovery.

Influence of process parameters on the microstructural evolution of a rear axle tube during cross wedge rolling

In the shaping process of cross wedge rolling（CWR）, metal undergoes a complex microstructural evolution, which affects the quality and mechanical properties of the product. Through secondary development of the DEFORM-3D software, we developed a rigid plastic finite element model for a CWR-processed rear axle tube, coupled with thermomechanical and microstructural aspects of workpieces. Using the developed model, we investigated the microstructural evolution of the CWR process. Also, the influence of numerous parameters, including the initial temperature of workpieces, the roll speed, the forming angle, and the spreading angle, on the grain size and the grain-size uniformity of the rolled workpieces was analyzed. The numerical simulation was verified through rolling and metallographic experiments. Good agreement was obtained between the calculated and experimental results, which demonstrated the reliability of the model constructed in this work.

THE APPLICATION OF BOUNDARY ELEMENT METHOD IN STRESS ANALYSIS OF AUTOFRETTED TUBE WITH NOTCH

In this paper, the boundary element method is applied to investigate the internal state of stress of autofretted tube with notch and the calculated results are important in the practical design.

Lattice Boltzmann simulation of flows in bifurcate channel at rotating inflow boundary conditions and resulted different outflow fluxes

The Lattice Boltzmann method （LBM） is used to simulate the flow field in a bifurcate channel which is a simplified model of the draft tube of hydraulic turbine machine. According to the simulation results, some qualitative conclusions can be deduced. The reason of uneven flux in different branches of draft tube is given. Not only the vortex rope itself, but also the attenuation of the rotation strength is important in bringing on the uneven flux. The later leads to adverse pressure gradient, and changes the velocity profile. If the outlet contains more than one exit, the one that contains the vortex rope will lose flux because of this adverse pressure gradient. Several possible methods can be used to minimize the adverse pressure gradient domain in order to improve the efficiency of turbine machine.

Method for Improving Transverse Wall Thickness Precision of Seamless Steel Tube Based on Tube Rotation

The tube rotation method （TRM） refers to the rotational movement of steel tube about its axis as well as translation in rolling direction in stretch reducing rolling process. The influence of the TRM on transverse wall thickness precision of seamless steel tube was studied. Thickness distribution of the TRM was obtained by superimposing the thickened amount of single pass rolling. Results show that the TRM can effectively improve the evenness of thickness distribution. In order to analyze the influence mechanism of the TRM, the finite element method was adopted to simulate the thickness distribution in stretch reduction process. Results show that the TRM changes the roundtrip flow between two fix places of conventional stretch reducing and inhibits the directional accumulation of metal. In addition, the TRM has a correction effect on thickness cusp. All these advantages of the TRM help to improve the transverse wall thickness precision of seamless steel tube.

The Entrance Effect on Gases Flow Characteristics in Micro-tube

Entrance region may have important effect on gases flow characteristics in micro-channels. It's concluded in the available papers that the entrance effect causes significant difference. An experimental system of single-phase gas flow characteristics in microchannels was set up. Flow characteristics of nitrogen in PEEK polymer micro-tube (hydraulic diameter is 553btm) was studied experimentally. According to the data of nitrogen flow in the micro-tube with the length ranging from 0. 1m to1.524m, it is shown that the friction constant becomes higher when the tube becomes shorter. By using pipe cutting methods, it's confirmed that entrance effect is one of the key factors that cause friction constant higher than conventional theory. It's found that friction constant of fully developed flow is lower than the value predicted by conventional theory in turbulent region. The result indicates that the flow transition occurs at Reynolds number ranging from 1600-2000. The phenomenon of obvious early transition is not found.