Control Volume Simulation of Casting Directional Solidification

Abstract

Quality demands of castings is elemental in recent years and becoming more stringent. Foundries are faced by the need to produce high quality castings, but nonetheless to produce them economically. To fulfill this demand, experimental castings, especially in case of individual production or small runs, are uneconomical. In these cases computer simulation can be the only economical tool for testing and approval. The modulus technique of Chvorinov is an applicable method to examine the local solidification process and to determine the application of chills, geometry modification and feeding. Numerically the control volume method is used to check the solidification process of large steel castings with non-uniform wall thicknesses.

Optimal gating system design for investment casting of 17-4PH stainless steel enclosed impeller by numerical simulation and experimental verification

“…Feng [19] increased the yield rate of impeller castings to 90% using an annular gate and runner system in conjunction with exothermic risers. Budavari and Molnar [20] employed the modulus technique of Chvorinov to simulate the local solidification processes of large steel castings with walls of nonuniform thickness. The characteristics of nonisotropic solidification have been derived using the control volume method.…”