Ab-initio Predictions of Interfacial Heat Fluxes in Horizontal Single Belt Casting (HSBC), Incorporating Surface Texture and Air Gap Evolution

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to develop ab-initio mathematical and computational models, aimed at predicting instantaneous heat fluxes when a liquid metal or alloy first comes into contact with a colder substrate during near net shape casting processes. Fully computational models were developed to determine whether the measured instantaneous heat fluxes associated with the strip casting of aluminum alloys on copper substrates could be inferred from first principles. For this, strip cast aluminum surfaces were physically analyzed using a 3-D Profilometer, so as to provide the detailed surface textural information needed for the mathematical modeling. It was shown that the modeled mould surface characteristics, such as pyramid height and number of contact points per mm2, are critical in determining the peak heat fluxes achieved during metal/mould contact. Reducing pyramid heights and/or increasing the number of contact points are beneficial in enhancing interfacial heat fluxes.The mechanism of air pocket formation was also explored through mathematical modeling. The volume expansion of entrapped air was deduced to be the main reason for “air pockets” forming on the strip's bottom surface. A new method for predicting air gap evolution was proposed in which a fixed grid system and an anisotropic thermal conductivity model were used. The computational models allow for various scenarios to be effectively studied, and for experimental curves to be matched against “predicted” curves. Finally, copper moulds with macroscopically textured surfaces were tested, and it was found that these surfaces were effective in expelling entrapped air to adjacent grooves, and in enhancing overall interfacial heat fluxes.