CFD studies on heat transfer and solidification progress of A356 al alloy matrix and Al2O3 nanoparticles melt for engineering usages

Abstract

2D model is established for semisolid forming of SSF component of A356 Al alloy mixed with Al2O3 nanoparticles. During solidification the temperature decreases from core to the surface. It may be credited to relatively higher cooling rate at surface as compared that of at core. Moreover, the existence of temperature gradient between surface and core is only because of finite thermal conductivity between the same. In addition, the presence of stated temperature gradient may be attributable to finite processing time. At large, the occurrence of stated finite temperature gradient is certainly caused by Fourier heat transfer involving infinite heat or thermal wave speed and frequency. In other words, the temperature gradient decreases with increase in cooling or solidification time. Nevertheless, the trends of numerical predictions are certainly similar. Furthermore, the variation of optimum temperature with cooling or solidification time is observed to be almost linear. Additionally, after quenching for about 30, 60, 90 and 120 s, numerical predictions of maximum flow field temperatures of the stated SSF component are 500, 450, 400 and 350 K, respectively.