Experimental validation of numerical simulations of free-surface flow within casting mould cavities

Abstract

PurposeThe paper targets on providing new experimental data for validation of the well-established mathematical models within the framework of the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM), which are applied to problems of casting processes in complex mould cavities.Design/methodology/approachAn experimental campaign aiming at the free-surface flow within a system of narrow channels is designed and executed under well-controlled laboratory conditions. An in-house lattice Boltzmann solver is implemented. Its algorithm is described in detail and its performance is tested thoroughly using both the newly recorded experimental data and well-known analytical benchmark tests.FindingsThe benchmark tests prove the ability of the implemented algorithm to provide a reliable solution when the surface tension effects become dominant. The convergence of the implemented method is assessed. The two new experimentally studied problems are resolved well by simulations using a coarse computational grid.Originality/valueA detailed set of original experimental data for validation of computational schemes for simulations of free-surface gravity-driven flow within a system of narrow channels is presented.