Experimenting, Numerical Modeling, and Programming

3.3Numerical Modeling
3.3.1 Assumptions Made
The following assumptions were made for the formulation of the
problem;
1. Mold is filled instantaneously.
2. Phase transformation proceeds in one direction: liquid to solid.
3. No convection is present in the liquid metal.
4. Initially the molten metal is at a uniform temperature.

Figure 3.2.
The gas furnace

Figure 3.3
The ingot

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 Figure 3.4
Sectioned
ingot

Figure 3.5
The cavities

2.3.2 Solid fraction and latent heat

The latent heat was added to the model as a source term (Eq. (2.4) in section 2.4.1.2).
The following processing shows this treatment:
T 2T 2T 2T
.c( ) K ( 2 2 2 ) Q .3-1
t x y z

T 2T 2T 2T f
.c( ) K ( 2 2 2 ) .L. S ..3-2
t x y z t

f S f S T
. ..3-3
t T t
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 T 2T 2T 2T f T
.c( ) K ( 2 2 2 ) .L. S . ..3-4
t x y z T t

T f T 2T 2T 2T
.c( ) .L. S . K ( 2 2 2 ) .3-5
t T t x y z

T L f K 2T 2T 2T
(1 . S ) ( ) 3-6
t c T .c x 2 y 2 z 2

For simplicity, it was supposed that solidification process is linear with decreasing
f S
temperature, so the rate: can be approximated as:
T
1 1
, and the above equation becomes:
Tliquidus Tsolidus T

T K 2T 2T 2T 1
( 2 2 2) ..3-7
t .c x y z [1 ( 1 ).( L )]
T c

3.3.3 System thermophysical properties

The thermophysical data can be classified into three classes: temperatures which
are used to control the display options, the thermal properties which are used to solve
the energy equation; and the phase change properties which are used to convert the
specific heat content of each cell to its representative temperature.
3.3.3.1 Thermophysical properties of the sand
The thermal properties of the mold sand remain constant during casting process
[8]. They are:
Initial temperature, T = 30 C
Density, = 1500 Kg/m3
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Thermal conductivity, K = 0.5 W/m .C
Specific heat, C = 666 J/Kg.C
3.3.3.2 Thermophysical properties of the alloy
The aluminum alloy properties were changed with respect to state of casting
(liquid or solid), these are thermal conductivity and heat capacity, while the density
value was changed with respect to temperature change using a linear relationships at
liquid state and solid state. [41]
1. Liquid state
Temperature of pouring, TP = 610 C
Liquidus temperature, TL = 573 C
Density, = 2482-0.27 (T- TL) Kg/m3 ..3-8
Thermal conductivity, K = 64 W/m .C
Specific heat, C = 1200 J/Kg.C
2. Solid state
Solidus temperature, TS = 542 C
Density, = 2690-0.19 (T-25) Kg/m3 .3-9
Thermal conductivity, K = 160 W/m .C
Specific heat, C = 1000 J/Kg.C
3. Mushy state
In the mushy state any thermophysical property is treated according to rule of
mixture, where required property (P) can be calculated at temperature T from Equation
3-10, where fs (T) is the solid fraction at T and PS and PL are values of the property at the
solid and the liquid state, respectively.[41]
PT =fs (T ) PS +(l- fs (T ))PL 3-10
Latent heat, L = 489000 J/Kg
Mushy temperature interval, T = 31
3.3.4 Explicit finite difference formulation

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 According to the method of explicit finite difference formulation which was
mentioned in paragraph (2.5.1.1), the differential equation (2.11) can be formulated as:

t Txt1 2Txt Txt1 T y 1 2T y T y 1

t t t
t t
T T t
[ .(
(x) (y ) 2
x, y , z x, y, z 2
1 L
[1 ( ).( )]
T C
Tzt1 2Tzt Tzt1
)] .3-11
(z ) 2
where:
K

.C , which is called the thermal diffusivity.
3.3.5 Casting system meshing
The casting system (mold and ingot) were divided into 384000 cubes with a
dimensions of (0.5 0.5 0.5 cm). The ingot consists of (1680) cubes, (figure 3.6). To
clarify the solidification front by contours progress, the shape of ingot was sectioned
into six layers (A, B, C, D, E, and F) with (0.5 cm) thickness, each layer consists of
(280) meshes, (figures 3.7 and 3.8). The solidification contours are drawn on these
slides.

(a)

cm

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 (b)

(c)

Figure 3.6. Ingot meshing, a-isometric b-top view, c-side view

F
E
D
C
B
A cm
Figure 3.7. Side view of casting sectioned to layers, A, B, C, D, E and F

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