Experimental arrangement for estimation of metal-mold boundary heat flux during gravity chill casting

Abstract

The cooling rate of the castings is determined by the rate of heat transfer into the mould during solidification, which has a considerable impact on their characteristics. The thermo-physical properties of the casting and mould materials determine the heat flow rate/cooling rate. Heat flow on the inner and external surfaces of the mould can be calculated using the Inverse Heat Conduction Problem, often known as the Inverse Approach (IHCP). On one side of the rectangular mould chamber, cold materials such as cast iron, stainless steel, and copper are used. For the experimentation, a simple gravity die casting in a rectangle mould is explored. At various points throughout the mould, mineral insulated K-type thermocouples are put. The thermocouples are wired into a data collecting system that connects to a computer. During pouring and subsequent solidification, the mold's time–temperature history is recorded. These recorded transient temperatures are supplied into the inverse method as input (IHCP). The surface heat flux is calculated as a function of time by the solver.