Experimental investigations and numerical modelling of the melting process in the cold crucible

Abstract

Purpose

Aims to present recent activities in experimental investigations and numerical modelling of the induction cold crucible installation.

Design/methodology/approach

Temperature and velocity measurements using thermocouples and electromagnetic velocity probes were performed in aluminium melt which was used as a model melt. Measured temperature field and flow pattern were compared with transient 3D calculations based on large eddy simulation (LES) turbulence modelling scheme. Numerical results are in good coincidence with the experimental data.

Findings

The modelling results show that only 3D transient LES is able to model correctly these heat and mass transfer processes.

Originality/value

It is revealed that transient 3D modelling provides a universal tool for simulating convective heat and mass transfer processes in the entire melt influenced by large scale instabilities in the recirculating flows, which contain several main vortexes of the mean flow.

Citation

Umbrashko, A., Baake, E., Nacke, B. and Jakovics, A. (2005), "Experimental investigations and numerical modelling of the melting process in the cold crucible", COMPEL - The international journal for computation and mathematics in electrical and electronic engineering, Vol. 24 No. 1, pp. 314-323. https://doi.org/10.1108/03321640510571336