Heat transport and solidification in the electromagnetic casting of aluminum alloys: Part II. Development of a mathematical model and comparison with experimental results

Abstract

In this second article of a two-part series, a mathematical model for heat transport and solidification of aluminum in electromagnetic casting is developed. The model is a three-dimensional one but involves a simplified treatment of convective heat transport in the liquid metal pool. Heat conduction in the solid was thought to play a dominant role in heat transport, and the thermal properties of the two alloys used in measurements reported in Part I (AA 5182 and 3104) were measured independently for input to the model. Heat transfer into the water sprays impacting the sides of the ingot was approximated using a heat-transfer coefficient from direct chill casting; because this heat-transfer step appears not to be rate determining for solidification and cooling of most of the ingot, there is little inaccuracy involved in this approximation. Joule heating was incorporated into some of the computations, which were carried out using the finite element software FIDAP. There was good agreement between the computed results and extensive thermocouple measurements (reported in Part I) made on a pilot-scale caster at Reynolds Metals Company (Richmond, VA).