9313192 Minate The project is an interdisciplinary investigation of the start-up stage of the direct chill (DC) ingot casting process. During the start-up stage of the process, the entry of the molten metal into the mold cavity takes place under very dynamic and transient conditions. The resulting fluid flow and the associated solidification pattern can drastically affect the microstructure of the ingot. In addition, the thermal stresses during the solidification stage can be large and can lead to cracking in the ingot. Moreover, the formation of air gap between the ingot and the mold can significantly change the heat transfer at the ingot- mold interface. Therefore, the transport phenomena, thermal deformation, and associated coupling between them during the start- up stage of the process can have a major impact on the formation of defects in the ingots. The proposed interdisciplinary study will involve a comprehensive experimental and computational analysis of the fluid flow, solidification, and thermal stresses during the start-up stage to determine their contribution to cracking and inferior microstructure in the ingots. The thermomechanical coupling between the fluid flow, solidification, and thermal stresses will be studied with the aim of preventing defects during the DC ingot casting process. The results of the study may allow for the faster casting of metal ingots with reduced defect content. Such ingots can be used to produce higher quality parts at lower cost.
