A computer simulation of solidification taking into account the movement of the liquid phase

Abstract

In the paper, we present the results of solidification simulation taking into account the movement of the liquid phase. The results are obtained from an author software which is implemented on the base of a stabilized finite elements method (Petrov-Galerkin formulation). Using that formulation the Navier-Stokes equation is solved together with the convection term (Boussinesq approximation). The Finite Element Method (FEM) formulation is responsible for solidification, approximating the solution of the heat conduction equation (with the internal heat source term responsible for the heat released during the phase transition). The movement of the liquid phase in a solidifying cast that is caused by convection can significantly affect the process of heat transfer from the casting to the mold, which in turn has an influence on the temperature distribution in the cast and may cause a change in the location of the defects. The presented results allow to assess under what conditions the effect of convection on the solidification process is significant.