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Research & Development

August 2008

Numerical simulation and process

optimization for producing large-sized
castings
*Wang Junqing1, Sun Xun1, Guan Yang1, Wang Penghua1, Li Hailan1, Bai Limei2,
Sun Xinzhi2
(1. Shenyang Research Institute of Foundry, Shenyang 110022, P. R. China; 2. Shenyang Gas Compressor Co. Ltd., Shenyang 110025,
P. R. China)

Abstract: 3-D velocity and temperature fields of mold filling and solidification processes of large-sized castings
were calculated, and the efficiency and accuracy of numerical calculation were studied. The mold filling and
solidification processes of large-sized stainless steel, iron and aluminum alloy castings were simulated by using of
new scheme; their casting processes were optimized, and then applied to produce castings.

Key words: numerical simulation; mold filling; solidification process; process optimization; stainless steel; alloyed iron
and aluminum castings
CLC number: TP391.9 Document code: A Article ID: 1672-6421(2008)03-179-07

S ince the 1960s there are 3 progressive periods for modeling

and simulation of mold filling and solidification processes
of castings. First, in 1988 3-D temperature fields were calculated
successfully during solidification of steel casting [1-4]. Second,
in 1995 3-D velocity fields of metal flow in mold filling
were calculated successfully by B. Sirrell of Birmingham
University [5-9]. Third, since 1990 a new task to model and
simulate the microstructure and morphology of crystal grains is
underway. In order to calculate nucleation in a macroscopic mesh,
undercooling at each microscopic cell and the random number
of nuclei by Monte-Carlo method, the 3-D velocity, temperature
and concentration fields in the meshes of casting should be
computed. Some researchers tried to simulate 3-D microstructure
of superalloy and ductile iron castings [10-14]. Meanwhile, foundry
technicians are more interested in simulating mould filling,
solidification process of castings and optimizing the processing
parameters to produce sound castings.
Since Re Number ≥ 2300 is the practical value in the
most of the mould filling processes, Lipinski, Yang and
Sun considered the effects of turbulent flow on velocity and
temperature fields, and solved more equations than those
considered laminar flow only [15-17], but it needed quick and
accurate calculating schemes of 3-D velocity and temperature
fields. Powerful software was developed to increase efficiency
and assure accuracy of numerical calculation. 24 million tons
of castings were manufactured annually in China, therefore,
proper numerical simulations by using of appropriate software
are needed eagerly in order to produce sound and large-sized
castings efficiently.
1 Modeling equations
When turbulent flow effects on processing parameters are
taken into account and time averaged method is being used,
the governing equations, including continuity, momentum,
volume fraction, energy, turbulent kinetic energy, dissipate
rate of turbulent kinetic energy equations, are as following:

(1)

(2)
(3)
(4)

(5)

(6)
*Wang Junqing
Some variables of the equations are calculated as following:
Male, born in 1942, Ph.D, Chief Engineer. Research interests:
numerical simulation of casting process, foundry metallurgy and (7)
engineering.
(8)
Received: 2008-04-07; Accepted: 2008-06-10

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 CHINA FOUNDRY Vol.5 No.3

(9) 2 Program for the calculation and

(10) display of 3-D velocity and
temperature fields
(11)
2.1 Pre-processing and post-processing
(12)
Pre-processing and post-processing programs were developed.
(13) It increases the enmeshment speed by 13 times by using new
(14) algorithm; for example, 1.93 million meshes can be generated
(15) in 5 seconds. The new program can read STL format file of
casting solid geometry and is able to repair defects in STL file
Where:
automatically; the inflow boundary condition can be set up
Ret – turbulence pulse Reynolds number;
3 and changed by mouse indicator; post-processing may show
t – liquid density, kg/m ;
filling pattern, 3-D velocity vector variation, 3-D temperature
xi, xj – coordinate, m;
distribution and result of ui, p and T on any section of the
ui, uj – velocity, m/s;
casting, and operation is quick and convenience. It is able to
n – molecular dynamic viscosity, Pa·s;
2 choose 19 different kinds of materials to represent different
o – molecular kinematic viscosity, m /s;
attribution of meshes during numerical calculation of mold
nt – turbulent viscosity, Pa·s;
filling and solidification process of casting, which brings more
ne, nT, nK, nf – generalized diffusion coefficient, Pa·s;
practicality for engineering analysis [18].
t – time, s;
gi – gravity acceleration, m/s2; 2.2 Fluid flow and heat transfer calculation by
T – temperature, K; high resolution MINMOD scheme
p – pressure, N/m2; In this study, high resolution MINMOD mesh with 5 points
F – volume fraction, 0≤F≤1; was adopted to make the discretization of momentum and
qv – heat source term, kg·K/s·m3; energy conservation equations on unequal size of meshes [19];
K – turbulent kinetic energy, m2/s2; improved VOF method was used to deal with the evolution
Pr – molecular Prandl number; of free surface and SOLA technique was used to calculate the
2 3
f – dissipate rate of turbulent kinetic energy, m /s ; velocity of fluid flow. Results showed that numerical accuracy
G – the producing term of turbulent kinetic energy, Pa/s; was increased, as shown in Fig. 1, false diffusion and virtual
coefficients: v T =0.9–1.0, v K =1.0, v f =1.3, C 1 =1.44, physical phenomenon that generated from the numerical
C2 =1.92, Cn = 0.09, f1 = 1.0 calculation were eliminated. The symmetrical distribution of
Based on these equations, with appropriate initial and temperature was reasonable during mold filling process of
boundary conditions, 3-D velocity and temperature fields can aluminum alloy plate casting.
be calculated.

Fig. 1 Mould filling simulation of plate casting by high resolution MINMOD scheme
3 Exploration for increasing efficiency
of numerical simulation
Since large portion of computing time was consumed in the
simulation of velocity field during mold filling, so many
efforts were devoted to increase the calculation efficiency.
Velocity field during mold filling was calculated by using of
a new algorithm named predictor-two step corrector-VOF,
which applied the implicit algorithm and large time step dt on
calculation of velocity, pressure and temperature; and explicit
algorithm with a small time step dt/n over the free surface range (n
180
is times cycles to get a new evolution of fluid). Figure 2 showed
the simulation results of Benchmark test by using of the new
algorithm with Courant Number equal to 4, where C=u∆t/∆x.
The simulated results were in agreement with the Benchmark
test.
Figure 3 showed the velocity field simulation results of
a plate casting with inflow velocity of 50 cm·s-1. Time cost
for the whole simulation process was 392 min and 317 min,
when Courant Number, C, equal to 4.0 and 8.0, respectively.
Computing time can be shortened by 19% if Courant Number
of 8.0 was used instead of 4.0. Although the adoption of a
 Research & Development
August 2008

large Courant Number can lead to good simulation efficiency Therefore, a suitable Courant Number should be selected
and the general tendency of fluid flow is similar, some obvious carefully in order to speed up the simulation without much lost
differences exist. The details can be found in Figs. 3 (b), (b') of engineering accuracy.
and (c), (c').

(a) 0.52 s (b) 0.77 s (c) 1.01 s (d) 1.49 s (e) 1.74 s
Fig. 2 Mould filling simulation of the Benchmark test by predictor-two step corrector-VOF scheme with C=4

(a) 0.44 s, 10% (b) 1.73 s, 40% (c) 3.45 s, 80%

(a') 0.45 s, 10% (b') 1.73 s, 40% (c') 3.46 s, 80%

Fig. 3 Velocity fields of mould filling by predictor-two step corrector-VOF scheme for plate casting (a)-(c): C=4.0, (a')-(c'): C=8.0

Fig. 4 showed the temperature

fields result by using of
predictor-two step corrector-
VOF algorithm, and the Courant
Number is 4.0; the temperature
distribution is symmetrical and
reasonable. New algorithm
promotes calculation efficiency
and favors engineering
application.
(a) 0.44 s, 10% (b) 3.45 s, 80%
Fig. 4 Temperature fields of mould filling for plate casting

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4 Numerical simulation and

process optimization of large-
sized castings
4.1 Dual-phases stainless steel casting
Aim at producing dual-phases stainless steel impeller
casting of 2,667 kg, numerical simulations for 3
different casting process techniques were carried out.
Figure 5 showed the solid geometry of the impeller
casting. Figure 6 showed the chill design and the
(a) Chill design (b) Solidified time field
solidified time field of casting process 1. Figure 7
showed the increased chill size to enlarge the cooling Fig.6 Casting technique 1
ability and the simulated result using casting process
2. In both technique 1 and technique 2, there are some
isolated regions near blade bottoms or middle parts of
the impeller casting, therefore shrinkage or porosity
may be formed in the corresponded regions. This
cannot meet the requirements of high strength and no
defects in the connecting part of the blade root and
the main body of the impeller, so techniques 1 and
2 were denied. Figure 8 showed the solid geometry
and enmeshment of impeller casting with in-gate and
risers, using casting technique 3, no any of chills,
and enhancing feeding ability from inside of main (a) Chill design (b) Solidified time field
body. Figure 9 showed the flow pattern, free surface Fig. 7 Casting technique 2
evolution and temperature distribution during mold
filling.

(a) Solid geometry of casting with feeders (b) Enmeshment

Fig. 5 Solid geometry of impeller casting Fig. 8 Casting technique 3

(a) 5.52 s, 25% (b) 16.55 s, 75% (c) 22.07 s, 100%

Fig. 9 Flow patterns and temperature fields during mould filling of impeller casting for casting technique 3

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August 2008

Figure 10 showed the solidified time fields during and thus no shrinkage and porosity appear. Mold filling time
solidification process. From these results it can be sure that was 22 s and solidifying time was 3.26 h, both of these times
liquid metal fills the mold cavity steadily. This solidification were suitable for foundry operation. Figure 11 showed the side
process can meet the requirement of sequential solidification, and top views of the produced sound casting.

(a) 352 s (b) 1,996 s (c) 4,344 s

Fig.10 Solidified time field during solidification process of impeller casting for casting technique 3

4.2 Alloyed iron casting

Numerical simulation of JT30-54
alloyed iron air compressor block
casting with a weight of 7,665 kg was
carried out to calculate temperature
fields under 3 different casting
processes. Two typical results for
the casting technique 1 and 3 are
shown in Figs. 12 and 13. For the
casting technique 2, the simulated
result was between the casting
technique 1 and 3.

(a) Side view (b) Top view

Fig. 11 Impeller casting

(a) Solid geometry (b) Riser and chills distribution (c) Defects prediction
Fig. 12 Numerical simulation and defect prediction under casting technique 1

Figure 12 shows the solid geometry, riser and chill positions Large area of shrinkage and porosity defects may be formed
in the mold, and also defect prediction of the casting under in this region. Leakage defect was detected when the produced
casting technique 1. As shown in Fig 12 (c), there exists a large casting was under pressurized testing. It demonstrated that
range of isolated solidified region in the middle part of casting. the simulated results were reliable. Figure 13 shows the solid

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(a) Solid geometry (b) Riser and chills distribution (c) Defects prediction
Fig. 13 Numerical simulation and defect prediction under casting technique 3

geometry, riser position, chill distributions in the mold and
also defect prediction of the casting under casting technique 3.
Compared with those of casting technique 1, casting technique
3 enhanced the cooling ability by increasing both the quantity
and size of the chills, and thus reduced the isolated volume
significantly. The isolated volume distributed separately and
no linked porosity defects can be formed. The produced block
Fig. 14 Block casting of an air compressor
casting, as shown in Fig. 14, was machined and pressurized
at 0.6 MPa, no leakage was detected. The casting satisfied the
requirements in specification.
4.3 Aluminum casting
Numerical simulation of large thin walled ZL114A aluminum
casting with a weight of 586 kg, pouring temperature of 710℃,
mould temperature of 25℃ (no-bake furan resin bonded sand)
and inflow velocity 20–50 cm·s-1 was carried out to calculate
velocity and temperature fields under 2 different casting
processes by using of low pressure casting method. The solid
geometry and enmeshment of aluminum casting with 15.03
million meshes are shown in Fig. 15 (a). There was a misrun
defect if low inflow velocity of 20 cm·s-1 was used, as shown
in Fig. 15 (b). No misrun was appeared if inflow velocity of
50 cm·s-1 was used, as shown in Fig. 15 (c), in this case the
filling time was 44 s. Figures. 15 (d) and 15 (e) showed the
temperature fields during solidification process in which the
whole casting solidified in about 24 min. So final casting
process parameters adopted were that the time of increasing
pressure was 44 s, inflow velocity at elevated liquid metal tube
was 50 cm·s-1, holding pressure time was 24 min. By using
these parameters, sound casting was produced, as shown in
Fig. 15(f).

(a) Enmeshment of aluminum (b) Misrun in mould filling with (c) No misrun in mould filling with
casting with 15.03 million inflow velocity 20 cm·s-1 inflow velocity 50 cm·s-1
meshes

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August 2008

5 Conclusions
(1) Time averaged governing equations,
include continuity, momentum, volume
fraction, energy, turbulent kinetic energy,
dissipate rate of turbulent kinetic energy
equations were established. It is able to
calculate the velocity and temperature fields
for laminar and turbulent flow during mold
filling and solidification process.
(2) The developed computer program can (d) Temperature field at solidified 20% (e) Temperature field at solidified 60%
read STL file, enmeshing solid geometry,
displaying velocity vector, 3-D velocity and
temperature fields, filling pattern, temperature
distribution of mold filling and solidification
process.
(3) The numerical simulation can be used
to predict the casting defects and to optimize
the casting process parameters to produce
large-sized sound stainless steel, alloyed iron
and aluminum castings.

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