Modeling of solidification process in a rotary electromagnetic stirrer

Abstract

A macroscopic model of the solidification process in a rotary electromagnetic stirrer is presented. The fluid flow, heat, and mass transfer inside a rotary stirrer are modeled using, 3-D swirl flow equations in which turbulent flow is simulated using a k-ε model. A hybrid model is used to represent the mushy zone, which is considered to be divided into two regions: a coherent region and a noncoherent region. Each region is represented by a separate set of governing equations. An explicit time-stepping scheme is used for solving the coupled temperature and concentration fields, while an implicit scheme is used for solving equations of motion. The coupling relations also include eutectic solidification, which is an important feature in modeling solidification with electromagnetic stirring, especially in the context of the formation of semi-solid slurry. The results from the present numerical solution agree well with those corresponding to experiments reported in literature.