3D phase field modeling of multi-dendrites evolution in solidification and validation by synchrotron x-ray tomography

© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. In this paper, the dynamics of multi-dendrite concurrent growth and coarsening of an Al-15 wt.% Cu alloy was studied using a highly computationally efficient 3D phase field model and real-time synchrotron X-ray micro-tomography. High fidelity multi-dendrite simulations were achieved and the results were compared directly with the time-evolved tomography datasets to quantify the relative importance of multi-dendritic growth and coarsening. Coarsening mechanisms under different solidification conditions were further elucidated. The dominant coarsening mechanisms change from small arm melting and interdendritic groove advancement to coalescence when the solid volume fraction approaches ~0.70. Both tomography experiments and phase field simulations indicated that multi-dendrite coarsening obeys the classical Lifshitz–Slyozov–Wagner theory Rn − Rn0=kc(t − t0), but with a higher constant of n = 4.3

Automated tooth crown design with optimized shape and biomechanics properties

Despite the large demand for dental restoration each year, the design of crown restorations is mainly performed via manual software operation, which is tedious and subjective. Moreover, the current design process lacks biomechanics optimization, leading to localized stress concentration and reduced working life. To tackle these challenges, we develop a fully automated algorithm for crown restoration based on deformable model fitting and biomechanical optimization. From a library of dental oral scans, a conditional shape model (CSM) is constructed to represent the inter-teeth shape correlation. By matching the CSM to the patient’s oral scan, the optimal crown shape is estimated to coincide with the surrounding teeth. Next, the crown is seamlessly integrated into the finish line of preparation via a surface warping step. Finally, porous internal supporting structures of the crown are generated to avoid excessive localized stresses. This algorithm is validated on clinical oral scan data and achieved less than 2 mm mean surface distance as compared to the manual designs of experienced human operators. The mechanical simulation was conducted to prove that the internal supporting structures lead to uniform stress distribution all over the model

Distortion behavior of hydro turbine blade castings during heat treatment processes under variation of seasonal temperature

Distortion often appears at the corners of heavy turbine blade castings during heat treatment processes, so a great machining allowance is generally set in production which directly results in cost increase. In this paper, a novel real-time measuring technology is developed for non-contact measuring the deformation behavior of heavy steel castings in heat treatment process. It was employed to measure the distortion and the temperature field of a batch of heavy turbine blade castings at cooling stage in normalizing process. Three inflection points appear in the distortion-time curves, and the residual distortion is affected by the regional area of not finished martensite transformation when the second inflection point appears. When the mean air temperature falls into the range of 10°C-20°C, the residual distortion is small; when it is lower than 10°C, positive distortion appears; when it is higher than 20°C, negative distortion appears. The distortion varies with seasonal temperature, which is directly responsible for the great machining allowance given in productio

Efficient and economical manufacture of heavy steel castings

Heavy steel castings, a symbol of the level of heavy industries, are high-tech products assembling materials, metallurgy, casting, etc. The feasible schemes for economizing manufacturing heavy steel castings were analyzed. The effects of riser design, sand mold, oxidation and deformation of casting during heat treatment, machining allowance, etc., on the economizing manufacture heavy steel castings were reviewed. Realization of efficient and economical manufacture of heavy steel castings will improve the output ratio of metal, shorten manufacturing period, save energy and resource, reduce pollution, and improve the competitiveness of enterprise

Application of 3D stereoscopic visualization technology in casting aspect

3D stereoscopic visualization technology is coming into more and more common use in the field of entertainment, and this technology is also beginning to cut a striking figure in casting industry and scientific research. The history, fundamental principle, and devices of 3D stereoscopic visualization technology are reviewed in this paper. The authors’ research achievements on the 3D stereoscopic visualization technology in the modeling and simulation of the casting process are presented. This technology can be used for the observation of complex 3D solid models of castings and the simulated results of solidification processes such as temperature, fluid flow, displacement, stress strain and microstructure, as well as the predicted defects such as shrinkage/porosity, cracks, and deformation. It can also be used for other areas relating to 3D models, such as assembling of dies, cores, etc. Several cases are given to compare the illustration of simulated results by traditional images and red-blue 3D stereoscopic images. The spatial shape is observed better by the new method. The prospect of 3D stereoscopic visualization in the casting aspect is discussed as well. The need for aided-viewing devices is still the most prominent problem of 3D stereoscopic visualization technology. However, 3D stereoscopic visualization represents the tendency of visualization technology in the future; and as the problem is solved in the years ahead, great breakthroughs will certainly be made for its application in casting design and modeling and simulation of the casting processes

A real-time measuring technology for studying distortion of hydraulic turbine blade castings during heat treatment process

During heat treatment process, the distortion behavior inevitably appears in hydraulic turbine blade castings. In this research, a technology was developed for real-time measurement of the distortion in hydraulic turbine blade castings at the still air cooling and forced air cooling stages during heat treatment process. The method was used to measure the distortion behavior at the cooling stages in both normalizing and tempering processes. At the normalization, the distortion at the blade corner near outlet side undergoes four stages with alternating bending along positive and negative directions. At the tempering stage, the distortion could be divided into two steps. The temperature difference between the two surfaces of blade casting was employed to analyze the distortion mechanism. The measured results could be applied to guide the production, and the machining allowance could be reduced by controlling the distortion behavior

Study on the Directional Solidification Process of an Aluminum Alloy Bar in Multishell Mold Being Gradually Immersed in Water

A multishell mold structure and water-immersion cooling method (MSMWI) is proposed for the directional solidification of castings. A four-layer-shell sand mold was designed for a bar with diameter of 40 mm. As the aluminum melt was poured, the multishell mold was gradually immersed in water, and the water level drove the advancement of the solidification front from bottom to top. The multishell mold was helpful for the heat insulation of its upper part, and its bottom was chilled by the water. Therefore, directional solidification of the bar was vertically realized. The water-cooled solidification process of the bar was 5.8 times faster than that by air natural cooling (MSMNC), and the temperature gradient was increased by 78 times. The secondary dendrite arm spacing (SDAS) and eutectic silicon were significantly refined. Its tensile strength, elongation, and hardness were increased by 56%, 185%, and 62.6%, respectively

A Study on the Effect of Ultrasonic Treatment on the Microstructure of Sn-30 wt.% Bi Alloy

The effect of ultrasonic treatment on the microstructure of Sn-30 wt.% Bi alloy was studied at different temperatures. Results showed that the ultrasonic treatment could effectively refine the microstructure of Sn-30 wt.% Bi alloy at a temperature range between the liquidus and solidus. Application of the ultrasound could fragment the primary Sn dendrites during solidification due to a mixed effect of ultrasonic cavitation and acoustic streaming. The divorced eutectic formed when the ultrasonic treatment was applied for the whole duration of the solidification. The eutectic phase grew and surrounded the primary Sn dendrite, and pure Bi phase grew in between the Sn dendritic fragments. The mechanism of the fragmentation of dendrites and the divorced eutectic structure by ultrasonic treatment was discussed

Integrated simulation of castings deformation during casting and heat treatment processes

Deformation often appears in castings during casting and heat treatment processes, which determines the machining allowance setting and the machining size distribution of product. The paper presents a novel method for integrated simulation of the deformation behavior of castings during casting and heat treatment processes with a unified finite element model. Firstly, analyze the deformation of castings during casting process with the model containing mold and casting, and update the geometry of casting after casting process, then analyze the deformation of castings during heat treatment process and the final geometry shape of casting before machining could be obtained. By the method, investigation on the deformation behavior of a hydro turbine blade casting during casting and heat treatment processes was carried out, and the residual stress distribution and geometry shape of the casting were obtained