Numerical Modeling of heat transfer for squeeze casting of MMCs

Abstract

A finite element model is developed for the process of squeeze casting of metal matrix composites in cylindrical molds. The fluid flow and the heat transfer are fundamental phenomena in squeeze casting. To describe heat transfer in the solidification of molten aluminum, the energy equation written in terms of temperature and enthalpy are applied in an axisymmetric model which is similar to the experimental system. A 1-D flow model simulates the transient metal flow. A direct iteration technique was used to solve the resulting nonlinear algebraic equations, using a computer program to calculate the enthalpy, temperature and fluid velocity. The cooling curves and temperature distribution during infiltration and solidification were calculated for pure aluminum. Experimentally, the temperature was measured and recorded using thermocouple wire. The measured time-temperature data were compared with the calculated cooling curves. The resulting agreement shows that the finite element model can accurately estimate the solidification time and predict the cooling process.