A transient finite‐element numerical simulation of the heat transfer and melt convection has been performed for the vertical Bridgman growth configuration in order to investigate the solid‐liquid interface deflection. The numerical simulation is realized with the help of the finite element software FIDAPTM. A free surface model is applied for the description of the moving solid‐liquid interface. By a dimensional analysis of the factors which affect the interface deflection, the influence of the nondimensional ratio δ = VIH/(kLGL) on the interface curvature is studied. The dimensionless interface curvatures are computed for different values of the interface rate VI, the latent heat of fusion H, the liquid thermal gradient GL and the thermal conductivity of liquid kL. Finally a simple expression which contains the quantity δ is proposed for the interface deflection.
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