Transient Temperature Distribution Research Articles

Transient temperature and pressure coupling model of cementing injection stage in ultra deep wells considering segmental rheological model, casing eccentricity and U-tube effect

The geological environments of ultra deep wells such as high temperature and high pressure (HTHP), narrow safety density window pose significant challenges to cementing operation. Considering segmental rheological model and density model, casing eccentricity, U-tube effect and viscous dissipation, this paper established a transient temperature and pressure coupling model during cementing injection stage of ultra deep wells. The segmental rheological model can describe the rheological properties of cementing fluids under HTHP much better. Considering casing eccentricity and viscous dissipation can accurately model the variation of temperature and pressure profiles. Taking U-tube effect into the model, the formation process of vacuum section at top of the casing can be simulated. The fully implicit finite-difference approach was used to solve the coupling model, and the calculation results were compared with field measurement data and simulation data to verify its accuracy. The calculation errors of the developed model are respectively 10% and 5% compared to field measurement data and Wellplan’s simulation data. Numerical simulations were conducted to reveal the cementing fluid distribution, transient temperature distribution and pressure distribution during the cementing injection stage. The simulation results show that the variety of cementing fluids with different density, rheological properties and thermophysical parameters complicates the change mechanism of temperature and pressure. The temperature and pressure distributions both present unsteady characteristics during cementing injection stage, which puts forward higher requirements of pressure control for narrow safety density window formation. The influence of temperature and pressure on rheology of cementing fluids cannot be ignored, and segmental rheological model should be considered for accurate pressure prediction. Also the casing eccentricity cannot be ignored for cementing pressure calculation in deviated or horizontal wells. Managed pressure cementing (MPC) has a greater advantage in dealing with narrow density window formation. The synergistic control of cementing fluid density and back pressure can keep the equivalent circulating density (ECD) within the safe density window. Through the application of the transient temperature and pressure coupling model, we can simulate the variations of key dynamic parameters during cementing injection stage and optimize the cementing parameters.

Numerical simulation of granular heat transfer within lifter rotating drum using smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH)

Abstract The rotating drums are typical industrial thermal processing equipment, which is widely used to heat or cool material particles in the circle fluid bed (CFB) systems. The traditional cylindrical rotating drum cannot significantly promote the heat transfer process of granules in operation, largely limiting further application. In this research, using smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH), two different types of lifters are employed to investigate the effects of shape, size, and number of lifters on the coefficient of heat transfer within the rotating drums by combining the flow and mixing characteristics of particles, the stress distribution, the transient velocity and temperature distribution, and the trend of the Peclet number.

Analysis of carrier dynamics and thermal effect of the GaAs photoconductive semiconductor switch in lock-on mode

Abstract The lock-on effect of the gallium arsenide photoconductive semiconductor switch (GaAs PCSS) at repetition rate aggravates the current crowding and electric field distortion, which significantly increases the risk of switch damage or even failure. Therefore, it is of great significance to investigate the carrier transport and the heat generation mechanism for improving the performance and longevity of GaAs PCSS in lock-on mode. The internal physical process of an opposed-electrode GaAs PCSS at low optical energy and strong electric field is analysed and discussed by experiment and simulation. A device-circuit hybrid simulation is employed to investigate the transient electric field, carrier concentration, and lattice temperature distribution within the GaAs PCSS in lock-on mode. The device temperature exhibits a positive correlation with the applied bias electric field, resulting in a peak temperature of 1037.25 K at an electric field of 38 kV/cm. The temperature distribution within the GaAs PCSS indicates a greater possibility for thermal breakdown and damage near the electrodes.

Thermal behavior of coated powder during directed energy deposition (DED)

In powder-based additive manufacturing (AM), the quality of the feedstock material is critical for obtaining enhanced mechanical properties. Recently, the application of coated powders during directed energy deposition (DED) has been prompted by the goal of fabricating composite and functional materials in-situ. The complex temperature and momentum fields established during DED render direct experimental characterization of coated powder behavior challenging. To address this challenge, this study reports on the thermal behavior of coated powders during interactions with the molten pool by constructing three-dimensional heat transfer and phase distribution models using the finite elements method (FEM). Transient temperature and phase distributions were calculated for coated and uncoated stainless steel 316L and ZnAl powders under various particle size, coating thickness, molten pool temperature, and coating material conditions. Particle residence time values were extracted from the calculations, defined as time spent by the particle before a phase change. The results show large variations in particle residence time (85 μs to 2670 μs for stainless steel 316L particles, and 48 μs to infinity for ZnAl particles) as a function of the variables considered, especially the thermal diffusivity of the coating materials, thereby highlighting the potential value of coatings as an additional design parameter in DED. Significant increases in particle residence time for both stainless steel 316L and ZnAl particles were found when contact angle increases from 0° (submergence regime) to 180° (floating regime).

Monitoring of thick-walled pressure elements to determine transient temperature and stress distributions using the measured fluid's pressure and wall's temperature

The paper presents a new stress monitoring method for cylindrical pressure elements of the power unit. It can be used to monitor a power unit's start-up, shutdown, and load change to reduce the unit's connection time to the power grid. The outer surface of the component is thermally insulated. Circumferential thermal stress at the point of its concentration at the hole edge is determined based on the stress determined at a greater distance from the hole. The circumferential thermal and pressure stresses at the hole edge are calculated by multiplying the stress values determined for the non-weakened wall by the respective concentration factors. In addition, the heat transfer coefficient (HTC) at the inner surface of the pressure element is necessary to determine the thermal stress concentration factor. Heat transfer correlations available in the literature are used to calculate HTC. The transient element wall temperature is measured five to 12 mm from the inner surface of the cylindrical component. An analysis of the measurement point locations on the accuracy of temperature and stress determining at the inner component surface was investigated. A practical application of the proposed method using real measurement data is presented.

Thermal response function method: A method for predicting the transient surface temperature of black-box objects

In engineering practice, thermal analysis of objects with unknown internal structure and/or thermophysical properties, and uncertainties in contact thermal resistances, is very challenging and even impossible using the traditional approach of direct solving the heat transfer equation. In this work, a thermal response function method (TRFM) is proposed for predicting the transient surface temperature of ‘black-box’ objects (i.e., unknown internal structure and thermophysical properties). The method relies on an introduced measurable quantity called thermal response function, which characterizes the thermal response characteristics of an object. Using the measured thermal response functions as input parameters, the transient temperature distribution on the surface of a black-box object under arbitrary external heat flux boundary condition can be predicted through linear superposition. Proof-of-concept simulations and experiments are conducted to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the TRFM method. The predicted surface temperature distribution under various external heat fluxes using TRFM agree well with the reference results. The results show that the TRFM is very promising as a solution of the challenging problem of predicting the transient surface temperature of black-box objects, with potential application for thermal imaging modeling of complex objects.

Analytical solution of three-dimensional temperature field for skin tissue considering blood perfusion rates under laser irradiation and thermal damage analysis

An analytical solution of the three-dimensional transient temperature distribution for skin tissue when heated by a laser heat source is presented in this work. An equation for the three-dimensional bioheat transfer of skin tissue is obtained firstly, and the transient temperature value at any point inside the skin tissue can be solved using the separation variable method and the Newton-Cotes method. Previous research primarily focused on semi-infinite domains, while this work presents an analytical solution for finite domains. A comparison of present analytical solution with simulation software results and numerical solution is given to demonstrate the feasibility of the analytical solution. The three-dimensional temperature distribution of skin tissue irradiated by a laser is theoretically studied. The extent of thermal damage to skin tissue is assessed by substituting the analytical solution of the temperature field for laser-irradiated skin tissue into the thermal damage equation. The calculations in this work reveal that the variation of temperature field in biological tissues is dependent not only on the laser incident light intensity and the optical parameters of the tissues but also on the heat transfer properties of the biological tissues, such as the blood perfusion rates.

Analytical solution for transient radial interaction between energy piles and soils: Thermo-elastic cavity expansion analysis

Bearing capacity of energy piles may be affected by the Radial Interaction between Energy Piles and Soils (RIEPS) such as energy pile expansion and transient radial heat conduction. This paper proposes a cavity-expansion-based solution to investigate the thermo-elastic RIEPS. Transient temperature distributions are shown by assuming heat conduction in the radial direction and constant temperature at the pile-soil interface. With the temperature distributions, a thermo-elastic solution is obtained to capture the changes in stresses and displacements around energy piles. It is found that the solution under the combined thermal-mechanical loading pattern is the linear superposition of those under the thermal loading and mechanical loading patterns. Hence, the stresses, strains and displacements in soils are determined by the competitive relationships between thermal and mechanical loading patterns. The expression for radial stress change at the pile-soil interface is discussed by the cavity expansion analysis and comparison with field data. For typical soil and pile parameters, the expression could be quite general considering transient temperature distributions and soil/pile moduli. This paper can benefit to the capacity design of energy piles by taking the RIEPS into account.

Investigations on Transient Temperature Distribution and Distortion in Shielded Metal Arc Welding of SA 516 Gr. 70 Steel

Efforts are made in this article to investigate the thermal and mechanical phenomena by presenting a coupled thermal and structural analysis of SA516 Grade-70 steel. This material has wide applicability in the fabrication of pressure vessels, boilers, etc., due to its excellent weldability and formability. An actual ongoing problem from a reputed industry, related to distortion during the shielded metal arc welding process, is considered and experiments are carried out on the chosen steel. Results are evaluated employing a two- step methodology, involving simulation. The first step encompasses thermal analysis, providing insights into transient temperature distribution, while the subsequent mechanical analysis offers data on residual stresses and distortion. In the case of heat input, a volumetric heat source with double ellipsoidal heat distribution is used whereas a plasticity material model with rate-independent bilinear kinematic hardening is adopted for the structural analysis. Additionally, temperature-dependent material properties are factored into both scenarios. The data derived from numerical analysis align closely with experimental findings, presenting valuable insights for fabricating industries.

In-flight anti-icing simulation of electrothermal ice protection systems with inhomogeneous thermal boundary condition

Conventional anti-icing computational solvers calculate the convective heat transfer coefficient using a homogeneous thermal boundary condition, assuming a constant temperature across the surface. However, this approach can lead to inaccuracies in regions with significant temperature variations. To address this limitation, the present study proposes a novel approach that utilizes an inhomogeneous thermal boundary condition, which updates the convective heat transfer coefficient based on the transient wall temperature distribution. We developed a unified finite volume framework that efficiently integrates various in-house solvers, including a compressible Navier-Stokes-Fourier (NSF) airflow solver, a Eulerian droplet impingement solver, a PDE-based ice solver, and a multilayer heat conduction solver. Thermal interaction between the different solvers was modeled using the conjugate heat transfer method. The effects of updating airflow on anti-icing results were investigated by comparing the results obtained by coupled and decoupled solvers. While the decoupled solver computes airflow once and remains unchanged, the coupled solver updates the airflow during the anti-icing simulation. Our findings show that the decoupled solver has the highest deviations from the coupled solver in evaporative anti-icing regimes, where dry regions form within the protection limits. Using coupled solvers in designing ice protection systems in evaporative regimes improves temperature prediction accuracy, enabling designers to reduce safety factors and save energy.

An Experimental Method to Capture the Thermal Conductivity Coefficient of Fine-Grained Concretes during Transition from Liquid to Solid.

During the transition from liquid to solid, the thermal conductivity coefficient λ of concrete decreases. Although λ of hardened concrete is well investigated, there is limited research on the transition from liquid to solid and how it depends on hydration. Currently, only simplified qualitative approaches exist for the liquid state and the transient process. An experimental method is not available. For this purpose, a test rig is designed to experimentally capture the evolution of λ for fine-grain concretes during transition. The performance of the test setup is evaluated on a characteristic high-performance concrete (HPC). The results are compared to theoretical predictions from the literature. The developed test rig is mapped in a digital twin to investigate extended boundary conditions, such as different heat sources and temperatures of the experimental setup. It allows the experiment to be repeated and optimized for different setups with little effort. The test principle is as follows: A liquid concrete sample is heated through a controlled external source, while the transient temperature distribution over the height is measured with a fiber optic sensor. The thermal conductivity is derived from the heat flux induced and the temperature distribution over an evaluation length. Experiments show that λ in the liquid state is approximately 1.4 times greater than in the solid state and exponentially decreases for the transient process. Numerical results on the digital twin indicate that the robustness of the results increases with the temperature of the heat source. Moreover, the derivation in λ turns out to be strongly dependent on the evaluation length. A length of three times the maximum grain diameter is recommended.

CFD Applications to Pressurized Thermal Shock-Related Phenomena

In pressurized water reactor accident scenarios, the injection of water from the emergency core cooling system (ECCS) (ECC injection) might induce a pressurized thermal shock (PTS), affecting the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) integrity. Therefore, PTS is a vital research issue in reactor safety, and its analysis is essential for evaluating the integrity of RPVs, which determines the reactor life. The PTS analysis comprises a coupled analysis between thermal–hydraulic and structural analyses. The thermal–hydraulic approach is particularly crucial, and reliable computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations should play a vital role in the future because predicting the temperature gradient of the RPV wall requires data on the transient temperature distribution of the downcomer (DC). Since one-dimensional codes cannot predict the complex three-dimensional flow features during ECC injection, PTS is one reactor safety issue where CFD simulation can benefit from complement evaluations with thermal–hydraulic system analysis codes. This study reviewed from the viewpoint of the turbulence models most affecting PTS analysis based on papers published since 2010 on single- and two-phase flow CFD simulation for the experiment on PTS performed in the Rossendorf coolant mixing model (ROCOM), transient two-phase flow (TOPFLOW), upper plenum test facility (UPTF), and large-scale test facility (LSTF). The results revealed that in single-phase flow CFD simulation, where knowledge and experience are sufficient, various turbulence models have been considered, and many analyses using large eddy simulation (LES) have been reported. For two-phase flow analysis of air–water conditions, interface capturing/tracking methods were used in addition to two-fluid models. The standard k–ε and shear stress transport (SST) k–ω models were still in the validated phase, and various turbulence models have yet to be fully validated. In the two-phase flow analysis of steam–water conditions, many studies have used two-fluid models and Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stoke (RANS), and NEPTUNE_CFD, in particular, has been reported to show excellent prediction performance based on years of accumulated validation.

Dual-tracer laser-induced fluorescence thermometry for understanding bubble growth during nucleate boiling on oriented surfaces

Nucleate boiling is perhaps one of the most efficient cooling methodologies due to its large heat flux with a relatively low superheat. Nucleate boiling often occurs on surfaces oriented at different angles; therefore, understanding the behavior of bubble growth on various surface orientations is of importance. Despite significant advancement, numerous questions remain regarding the fundamentals of bubble growth mechanisms on oriented surfaces, a major source of enhanced heat dissipation. This work aims to accurately measure three-dimensional (3D), space- and time-resolved, local liquid temperature distributions surrounding a growing bubble on oriented surfaces that quantify the heat transfer from the superheated liquid layer during bubble growth. The dual tracer laser-induced fluorescence thermometry technique combined with high-speed imaging captures transient 2D temperature distributions within a 0.3 ºC accuracy at a 30 μm resolution. The results show that the temperature close to the heated surface and bubble interface exhibits an acute transient behavior at the time of bubble departure, and the growing bubble works as a pump to remove heat from the surface with a temperature difference of up to 10 °C during its growth and departure. The experimental results are compared with data available in the literature to validate the accuracy of the technique. It was found that the heat transfer coefficient close to the bubble interface and heater is approximately 1.3 times higher than the heat transfer coefficient in the bulk liquid.

Accurate Temperature Reconstruction in Radiofrequency Ablation for Atherosclerotic Plaques Based on Inverse Heat Transfer Analysis.

Radio frequency ablation has emerged as a widely accepted treatment for atherosclerotic plaques. However, monitoring the temperature field distribution in the blood vessel wall during this procedure presents challenges. This limitation increases the risk of endothelial cell damage and inflammatory responses, potentially leading to lumen restenosis. The aim of this study is to accurately reconstruct the transient temperature distribution by solving a stochastic heat transfer model with uncertain parameters using an inverse heat transfer algorithm and temperature measurement data. The nonlinear least squares optimization method, Levenberg-Marquardt (LM), was employed to solve the inverse heat transfer problem for parameter estimation. Then, to improve the convergence of the algorithm and reduce the computational resources, a method of parameter sensitivity analysis was proposed to select parameters mainly affecting the temperature field. Furthermore, the robustness and accuracy of the algorithm were verified by introducing random noise to the temperature measurements. Despite the high level of temperature measurement noise (ξ = 5%) and larger initial guess deviation, the parameter estimation results remained closely aligned with the actual values, with an overall ERMS consistently below 0.05. The absolute errors between the reconstruction temperature at the measurement points TC1, TC2, and TC3, and the actual temperature, remained within 0.33 °C, 2.4 °C, and 1.17 °C, respectively. The Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm employed in this study proficiently tackled the ill-posed issue of inversion process and obtained a strong consistency between the reconstructed temperature the actual temperature.

Coupled heat and water transfer in heterogeneous and deformable soils: Numerical model using mixed finite element method

We present a generic model framework for coupled heat and water transfer (CHWT) in deformable (non-rigid) soils with spatial variations of soil properties. The model backbone is a mixed finite element method (FEM), which solves the Philip and de Vries (1957) CHWT model and achieves conservation of mass and energy on both local and global scales. Spatial variations occur in soil hydraulic and thermal properties due to transient water content and temperature distributions. Based on the mixed FEM scheme, a gradient measure and a clustering model (“k-means”) are proposed to trace the regions with large spatial variations of soil properties, and an adaptive mesh refinement technique is developed to improve the spatial resolution and simulation accuracy. Deformation perturbates local soil topography and alters transient soil water and temperature regimes in the deformed regions. A quasi-static deformation model is presented, and the deformation effects are incorporated into the mixed FEM scheme. When external load exists, soil deformation is simulated with an updated Lagrangian formulation, and the local water content and temperature variations due to soil volume changes are also updated in the CHWT model. Numerical examples, including thermally induced soil water transfer and water infiltration, illustrate the model ability to provide plausible CHWT results, especially the refined solutions near the wetting fronts and the water content and temperature distributions when the soil is deformable. In conclusion, the proposed model framework provides an effective pipeline to incorporate and process the spatial variations of soil properties and soil deformation in CHWT simulations.

Evaluation by Liquid Crystal Thermography of Transient Surface Temperature Distribution in Radiant Floor Cooling Applications and Assessment of Analytical and Numerical Models

Abstract The purpose of our study is to evaluate the surface temperature distribution on a radiant floor, particularly focusing on space cooling operations, to assess the presence of nonuniformities. In fact, knowing the temperature difference between the average superficial temperature and the coldest spot can be a useful indication for condensation prevention. Primarily, we performed an experimental campaign in test rooms using temperature sensors and liquid crystal thermography. This allowed us to evaluate the floor temperature distribution both on a local scale, influenced by the discontinuous presence of buried water pipes, and on a macroscale, influenced by internal use, objects, and boundary conditions of the surrounding space. Then, the experimental temperature field on the radiant floor surface has been compared with analytical and numerical models in steady-state and transient phases, respectively. The results indicate limited superficial temperature variations that become more significant at larger tube spacings and under transient conditions. In particular, the numerical transient analysis showed that shortly after a step change in the pipe's temperature boundary condition, a larger variation is locally observable on the floor, which then decays to the new steady-state conditions, presenting more uniformity. However, local effects are generally overshadowed by macro-effects, especially for practical scenarios where many objects, furnishings, and different boundary conditions are present. Finally, as a conservative guideline for the cooling system control, we recommend maintaining the average superficial floor temperature at least 1 °C above the dew point, to account for the described nonuniformities.

On material removal analysis in ECSM process during micro-channelling with rough tool: Experimental investigation and numerical simulation

The prevailing ECSM investigation using rough tools exhibits its superior performance, especially during micro-channelling. However, the critical aspects related to microchannel quality, such as straightness error, depth/width ratio, MRR and surface quality, have not been thoroughly explored in the existing literature. This research endeavours to fill this gap by addressing these pertinent issues. It also introduces a finite element-based model to analyze the transient temperature distribution and material removal rate, considering the influence of multiple spark discharges generated by rough tools during micro-channelling. The research encompasses theoretical analysis, simulations accounting for partition energy, and experimental assessment of various ECSM parameters for fabricating microchannels with better MRR, depth/width ratio and straightness without compromising the machined surface quality. Theoretical and simulation analyses emphasize the superior performance of rough tools in achieving efficient micro-channel fabrication compared to smooth tools, attributed to a substantial 245 % higher electric field distribution over the entire rough tool surface. Particularly, under low-energy interactions (70 V, 20 % electrolyte concentration, 6 mm/min tool feed, and 3 ms pulse on time), the close alignment between experimental, simulation and regression model results validates the accuracy of the FEM model in capturing the performance of the rough tool in ECSM micro-channelling. This comprehensive investigation provides valuable insights into the benefits of employing rough tools and the factors influencing the quality and efficiency of ECSM for microchannel fabrication.

Modeling Approach Estimates Temperatures in Growing High-Temperature Wells

_ This article, written by JPT Technology Editor Chris Carpenter, contains highlights of paper SPE 214836, “Downhole Temperature Estimation of a Growing High-Temperature Wellbore Using a Modified Drift-Flux Modeling Approach,” by Ningyu Wang, SPE, Mohamed S. Khaled, and Anthony Luu, The University of Texas at Austin, et al. The paper has not been peer reviewed. _ Downhole temperature (DHT) estimation is very important for heat management while drilling high-pressure/high-temperature (HP/HT) and geothermal wells. Existing transient models neglect the effect of wellbore growth or deepening on the downhole temperature. The complete paper provides a new modeling tool to estimate and manage the DHT in higher-temperature oil, gas, and geothermal wells. The model, which has the potential to run in real time and thereby digitally twin the drilling operation, may contribute to preventing premature temperature-related failures of bits and downhole tools while drilling future wells in high-temperature environments. Introduction Analytical and numerical modeling are the two main approaches discussed in the literature to estimate the mud temperature inside the drillstring and the annulus. Although these models provide valuable insights on selecting optimal heat-management techniques during circulation, none consider the effect of drilling rate of penetration (ROP) on downhole temperature, and all consider the wellbore as having fixed and static dimensions. On the other hand, the effect of ROP in an arbitrarily growing wellbore on other aspects of drilling has been modeled and studied. In this work, the authors present a validated thermohydraulic model based on the drift-flux approach to simulate the transient behavior of downhole temperature during drilling. This model can predict the effect of different cooling-strategy techniques based on real-time operational changes and can predict temperature-sensor measurements. It thereby establishes a foundation for active managed-temperature drilling of HP/HT and geothermal wells. Methodology The drift-flux model is a well-studied model for 1D flow in a flow channel with static geometry. Conservation equations, and their discretization, are detailed in the complete paper, as are equations regarding heat transfer in the solid. Assumptions. To lay the foundation for a thermohydraulics model that considers the effect of the growth of the wellbore, the following key assumptions are made: - The ROP is much slower than the mud-flow velocity. - The cuttings are assumed to be perfectly integrated into the mud and to share the physical properties of the drilling mud. Therefore, the added mud volume equals the volume of the cuttings. The complete paper focuses on laying the foundation for a solver that accounts for the wellbore growth. - The transient temperature distribution in the drillstring is neglected because the authors are primarily interested in temperature behavior on larger time scales. - The growth of the wellbore trajectory is an external input and is to be updated in a timely manner if the solver is run in real-time mode. - The drillpipe entering the well has constant cross-sectional geometry. - The formation temperature ahead of the bit is considered to not yet be disturbed as drilling proceeds.

Transient Thermal Exchange Analysis of an External Rotor Hub Motor for Electrified Defense Vehicles Applications Based on FVM and TNM

This paper investigates the transient temperature distribution law of a 75kW external rotor hub motor for electrified defense vehicles (EDV) using the finite volume method (FVM) and the thermal network method (TNM). Based on thermal exchange and fluid flow theories, both a transient fluid-solid coupled thermal exchange model and a lumped parameter thermal network model (LPTNM) with transient thermal capacity parameters are established. An iterative algorithm for the heat transfer coefficient is proposed to improve the accuracy of LPTNM. Compared with existing methods, this algorithm exhibits higher accuracy and stronger practicality. In addition, an experimental platform of the hub motor temperature rise is built for measuring the end winding temperature. The calculated results are in good agreement with the experimental results, verifying the rationality of the 3D transient fluid-solid coupled thermal exchange model and the LPTNM. The axial parallel water channel structure was adopted to improve the cooling performance of the end winding, taking into account the structural characteristics and assembly mode of the hub motor. This paper provides theoretical references for the transient thermal analysis and cooling structure design of the EDV hub motor.

Quantification of geometrical errors and thermal effects during wire EDM of thin wall structures—A numerical study

Machining thin-walled structures with a high aspect ratio using Wire EDM can lead to geometrical errors, primarily of two types; overcut error due to kerf formation and thermal deformation of the entire wall section. To understand the driving mechanisms behind these errors three distinct numerical models were developed. Initially, a model based on a moving heat source was created, employing the apparent heat capacity approach to predict kerf width and the associated overcut error. These insights were then utilized to formulate a transient temperature distribution model with a redesigned geometry, considering time-dependent evolution of the kerf and corresponding changes in the material properties of the sub-domains. Finally, a thermo-mechanical coupled model was developed to predict geometrical errors caused by the deflection of the wall, considering the varying stiffness of the part. A series of experiments were conducted to gain insight into the effect of the designed wall thickness on wall deflection. For the selected design profile and machine parameters, the model predicts a 62.4% reduction in thickness and a corresponding over-cut error of 188μm. Similarly, the model predicts wall deformation in the range of 6μm to 312μm for various wall thickness levels and these findings were validated with experimental observations.