Numerical Simulation of Solidification of Thick-Wall Stainless Steel Pipe in Horizontal Centrifugal Casting Process

Abstract

A mathematical model of the horizontal centrifugal casting process based on the cast cylindrical coordinates for stainless steel pipe has been developed. Thermal boundary conditions, including the radiative and convective heat transfer conditions, have been taken into consideration. The model equation was solved numerically using non-uniform cylindrical grids and the finite differential method (FDM). Several parameters of casting process such as melt superheat, preheating temperature of mold, thermal conductivity of coating and flux powder, which affect the temperature distributions in both cast pipe and mold and the changed positions of melt solidifying at last are investigated. In order to verify the results of simulation, calculated temperatures were compared with the experimental data.