On the explicit resolution of the mushy zone in the modelling of the continuous casting of alloys

Abstract

• Dual boundary immobilization technique for determining the mushy zone in the continuous casting of alloys. • Analytical behaviour of the mushliquid and solidmush interfaces at the start of phase change. • Analytical behaviour of the mushliquid and solidmush interfaces at phase depletion. • Method implemented in Comsol Multiphysics. In the continuous casting of alloys, it is well-known that the mushy zone is decisive for the final properties of the casting. Most numerical models for the process use enthalpy-based methods on fixed grids which determine the extent the mushy zone implicitly. Here, on the other hand, we develop a methodology for explicitly resolving the geometrical extent of the mushy zone; this involves a sharp-interface formulation to solve a dual moving boundary problem to locate the solidus and liquidus isotherms. The results compare favourably with those from enthalpy-based methods, and the advantages of our approach with respect to future multiphysics calculations are discussed.