COMPUTER APPLICATIONS IN DIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION PROCESSING.

Abstract

Computer applications in this field can be broken down into three major areas. The first is computerized thermal analysis of cooling curves in order to quickly and accurately obtain solidification parameters such as growth rate, thermal gradient, cooling rate, etc. The second is computer modeling of the heat flow problem associated with unidirectional solidification. Various models have been used in this connection, including finite difference, finite element and one dimensional steady state approximations. The third and final area is computer control.