Article: 3D CFD study of low-head direct chill slab casting of aluminium alloy AA3003 Journal: Progress in Computational Fluid Dynamics, An International Journal (PCFD) 2016 Vol.16 No.6 pp.379 - 396 Abstract: A 3D control volume-based finite difference model was developed to simulate an industrial scale low-head direct chill (DC) slab casting process for the intermediate freezing range aluminium alloy AA3003. The model took into account the coupled nature of the turbulent melt flow and solidification heat transfer aspect of the direct chill casting (DCC) process. The model was used to predict the velocity and temperature fields. By post-processing, the temperature results, the sump depth and the mushy thickness at the centre of the slab and the shell thickness at the exit of the mould were calculated. Specifically, three important process parameters, namely, casting speed, melt superheat and effective heat transfer coefficient at the metal-mould contact region were varied in the range of 60 to 180 mm/min, 16 to 64°C, and 1.0 to 4.0 kW/m²K, respectively. Consistent with the industrial practice, in the mould, in the impingement and the free streaming regions, a step-wise increase of the cooling water temperature was considered. The predicted results were then critically analysed and discussed. Inderscience Publishers - linking academia, business and industry through research

Title: 3D CFD study of low-head direct chill slab casting of aluminium alloy AA3003

Authors: Mainul Hasan; Latifa Begum

Addresses: Department of Mining and Materials Engineering, McGill University, M.H. Wong Building, 3610 University Street, Montreal, QC, H3A 0C5, Canada ' Department of Mining and Materials Engineering, McGill University, M.H. Wong Building, 3610 University Street, Montreal, QC, H3A 0C5, Canada

Abstract: A 3D control volume-based finite difference model was developed to simulate an industrial scale low-head direct chill (DC) slab casting process for the intermediate freezing range aluminium alloy AA3003. The model took into account the coupled nature of the turbulent melt flow and solidification heat transfer aspect of the direct chill casting (DCC) process. The model was used to predict the velocity and temperature fields. By post-processing, the temperature results, the sump depth and the mushy thickness at the centre of the slab and the shell thickness at the exit of the mould were calculated. Specifically, three important process parameters, namely, casting speed, melt superheat and effective heat transfer coefficient at the metal-mould contact region were varied in the range of 60 to 180 mm/min, 16 to 64°C, and 1.0 to 4.0 kW/m²K, respectively. Consistent with the industrial practice, in the mould, in the impingement and the free streaming regions, a step-wise increase of the cooling water temperature was considered. The predicted results were then critically analysed and discussed.

Keywords: low-head casting; vertical DC casting; aluminium alloys; turbulent flow; solidification heat transfer; 3D modelling; CFD; computational fluid dynamics; direct chill slab casting; finite difference method; FDM; direct chill casting; DCC; sump depth; mushy thickness; shell thickness; casting speed; melt superheat; heat transfer coefficient; metal-mould contact; impingement region; free streaming region; cooling temperature.

DOI: 10.1504/PCFD.2016.080053

Progress in Computational Fluid Dynamics, An International Journal, 2016 Vol.16 No.6, pp.379 - 396

Received: 21 Oct 2014
Accepted: 16 Apr 2015
Published online: 31 Oct 2016 *

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Title: 3D CFD study of low-head direct chill slab casting of aluminium alloy AA3003

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