Two-phase thermo-mechanical and macrosegregation modelling of binary alloys solidification with emphasis on the secondary cooling stage of steel slab continuous casting processes

VICTOR D. FACHINOTTI; STEVEN LE CORRE; NICOLAS TRIOLET; MANUEL BOBADILLA; MICHEL BELLET

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR NUMERICAL METHODS IN ENGINEERING

JOHN WILEY & SONS LTD

Lugar: LOndres; Año: 2006 vol. 67 p. 1341 - 1384

0029-5981

As an approach towards a better modelling of solidification problems, we introduce a thermomechanical and macrosegregation model that considers a solidifying alloy as a binary mixture made of a liquid and a solid phase. Macroscopic conservation laws for mass, momentum and solute are obtained by spatial averaging of the respective microscopic conservation equations. Assuming local thermal equilibrium, a single equation for the conservation of the mixture energy is then written. A single equation can be obtained for the solute as well by invoking a proper microsegregation rule. The numerical implementation in a two-dimensional finite element code is then detailed. Lastly, some examples of simulations of academic tests as well as industrial applications for continuous casting of steel slabs are discussed. They particularly enlighten the ability of the formulation to describe the formation of central macrosegregation during the secondary cooling of slab continuous casting processes.