Tj. Fitzgerald et Rf. Singer, AN ANALYTICAL MODEL FOR OPTIMAL DIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION USING LIQUID-METAL COOLING, Metallurgical and materials transactions. A, Physical metallurgy andmaterials science, 28(6), 1997, pp. 1377-1383
In what follows, a model is developed that describes the optimal proce
ssing parameters for directional solidification using liquid metal coo
ling (LMC). The model considers a sample with a flat geometry and, as
a first approximation, can be used to treat the flat sections of a tur
bine blade. The model predicts (1) the optimal withdrawal rate of the
casting from the hot zone, (2) the temperature gradient in the liquid
at the solidification interface, and (3) the temperature profile along
the length of the casting. The model is then used to perform a sensit
ivity analysis of the LMC process. Cooling bath temperature, baffle th
ickness, shell thickness, and shell thermal conductivity are shown to
have a strong influence on system performance.