The use of general purpose software in casting solidification simulation

Abstract

Computer simulation of casting solidification has been developed to a degree that allows its use in industrial applications. This has been accomplished through the use of numerical techniques, the high speed digital computer, and development of procedures which eliminate previous assumptions of temperature-independent thermal properties, zero melt superheat, and intimate contact at all interfaces. However, for computer simulation to be a useful, economic tool, the manpower required to prepare a problem for the computer and to analyze the results must be minimized. These can be achieved by including in the programmatic goals of the project the use of generalized computer programs, simple data input, and easy-to-analyze computer output. One means of accomplishing this involves the use of general purpose heat transfer programs, preprocessing computer programs to aid in data input and color microfilm output. Such a procedure is described in this paper using a copper, flanged-barrel casting problem to demonstrate the versatility and ease-of-data analysis possible with this approach.