Numerical Modeling of the Interaction between a Foreign Particle an Solidifying Crystalline Interface

AGALIOTIS ELIANA M.; ROSENBERGER MARIO R.; ARES ALICIA E.; SCHVEZOV CARLOS E.

CFD Modeling and Simulation in Materials Processing

The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society

Año: 2012; p. 171 - 178

The interaction between a solidification front and a spherical particle was modeled and simulated in order to study the phenomenon of "pushing". Finite element methods were employed in axisymetric domains. The drag force is calculated from the calculated fluid flow field and the repulsion force is the Lifshitz-Van der Waal force. The thermal field is decoupled from the force field. The model is applied to a metallic matrix containing particles with similar, lower or higher thermal conductivities than the matrix, resulting in planar, convex and concave interface shapes, respectively. The results show that the critical velocities for pushing for concave and convex interfaces are about one order of magnitude larger and one order of magnitude lower than the critical velocity for flat interfaces, respectively. The simulated results were in very good agreement with reported experimental results.