The analysis of mould filling in castings using the finite element method

For an accurate modelling of the process of solidification in castings, it is necessary in most cases to include the modelling of the process of filling of the mould. The flow associated with the pouring of molten metal into moulds has been modelled using the Finite Element Method. This paper gives a brief outline of how an FE based Navier-Stokes equation solver has been used to analyse the flow and the velocities used to advect a pseudo-concentration function for modelling the fluid front. A heat transfer algorithm is then used to predict the temperatures throughout the mould and the moving fluid. Some examples have been included, which show the application of these techniques to real casting problems. Examples include the solution of the plain mould filling of a complex practical problem, mould filling with heat transfer and a problem in which mould filling and solidification are combined. © 1993.