Abstract
A numerical study of the solidification process in a V-shaped sump has been conducted for a binary mixture. This geometry is of particular interest as it simulates the limiting cases of the physical domain of the molten metal in the direct chill (DC) continuous casting process. Solutions were obtained by solving a two-phase set of conservation equations of mass, momentum, energy, and species in a polar coordinate system. The necessary interfacial terms for the two-phase model are discussed. A non-uniform grid, biased at the point discontinuity, was chosen for the calculations to improve the stability of the numerical procedure. The binary mixture studied was a eutectic forming aluminum-copper (Al-Cu) alloy. Two limiting cases of sump angle (8° and 16°) were simulated to gain insight into the influence of geometric effects on the final cast properties. The effects of melt convection and solid movement are also discussed as contributing factors to the segregation patterns. The results of the study showed the angle of the enclosure greatly affected the developing negative segregation bands in the mushy region. Furthermore, the original negative-segregated mushy zone gradually developed into a positively-segregated region throughout the solid area.
