Title: Optimisation-based inverse heat transfer analysis for salt quenching of automotive components

Authors: D.E. Smith

Addresses: Division of Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, 1500 Illinois St. Golden, CO 80401, USA

Abstract: This paper describes an inverse analysis method that may be used to calculate surface heat transfer coefficient distributions from experimental data, and addresses the applicability of the computed results. The method is developed to simulate industrial heat treatment processes such as the quenching of steel components in molten salt. An optimisation-based approach is employed which adjusts the parameters that define the surface heat transfer coefficients such that cooling curves computed from a finite element analysis closely match measured temperatures. The forward analyses include process details such as quench immersion, low carbon steel phase transformation kinetics and phase-dependent thermal properties to improve the accuracy of the computed results. The inverse methodology is demonstrated for a 5100 series steel gear blank quenched in quiescent molten salt and the applicability of the computed results are investigated with a helical transmission gear simulation.

Keywords: inverse analysis; optimisation; heat treatment; steel quenching; heat transfer coefficients.

DOI: 10.1504/IJVD.2001.001905

International Journal of Vehicle Design, 2001 Vol.25 No.1/2, pp.23-39

Published online: 18 Aug 2003 *

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