Mohammad ZARBINI SEYDANI defended his thesis work carried out at the MSMP laboratory on the Aix-en-Provence campus on February 3, 2023.
This thesis was funded as part of a Carnot-Arts project in collaboration with the Arts et Métiers LIFSE and MSMP laboratories.
Title: SPH modeling and experimental validation of the filling and solidification processes of AlSi13 rapid gravity casting
Jury:
- Dermot Brabazon, Professor, School of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering, Glasnevin Campus, Dublin City University, Ireland - Reviewer
- Xesús NOGUEIRA, Professor, Elviña Campus, University of A Coruña, Spain - Reviewer
- Said AHZI, Professor, ICUBE Laboratory-CNRS, University of Strasbourg, France - Examiner
- Marie BEDEL, Associate Professor, MSMP-EA7350, Arts et Métiers, France - Examiner
- Mohamed EL MANSORI, Professor, MSMP EA7350, Arts et Métiers, France - Examiner
- Sofiane KHELLADI, Professor, LIFSE, Arts et Métiers, France - Examiner
Summary:
The simulation of gravity sand casting is a complex process that involves multiple scales and physics phenomena. Although commercial software is available, it can be difficult to accurately predict the filling dynamics when coupled with cooling, solidification, and induced defects. One specific challenge is predicting oxidation, which requires tracking the fluid front where oxidation forms, making the motion in the melt complex to model with mesh-based methods. Smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) is a Lagrangian simulation approach that is well-suited to model the filling step of casting. By modeling metal as free-moving particles, SPH allows for reliable predictions of fluid flow and complex free surface motion. This thesis aims to develop an SPH approach to examine the filling, cooling, and solidification phases of rapid gravity casting of AlSi13. Numerical results obtained using SPH will be validated experimentally and compared to results obtained using commercial software (ProCAST).
The initial step in achieving this thesis's goal is to develop a 2D casting SPH code, which was developed initially by LIFSE laboratory. Firstly, the SPH code is developed in 2D to model the filling, cooling, and solidification processes of sand gravity casting. In order to analyze the 2D gravity casting SPH code for a closed system, an experimental test case is specifically designed. Secondly, the SPH code is upgraded to 3D, and the numerical results of filling, cooling, and solidification are studied in the case of a more realistic 3D casting and compared to experiment. Finally, the upgraded 2D and 3D validated SPH code provides the basis for future prediction of casting defects such as oxidation.
