Simulation of Bimetal Casting/Fusion TM Process

在过去的70年里，直接激冷(DC)铸造法一直是铝工业生产整体薄板产品的中流砥柱。2006年，Novelis推出了一项创新的变化，有可能彻底改变DC铸造工艺，使其能够使用双金属铸造工艺生产多合金叠层钢锭。Novelis将这项新技术称为融合技术。对于这项新技术的成功商业化来说，最重要的是科学和定量地了解双金属铸造工艺，该工艺用于将层压钢锭作为单一的整体钢锭共铸。这一知识至关重要，因为它将为优化和理解双金属铸造工艺提供科学指导。总体目标将是发展对双金属铸造过程的科学理解，包括热传递和流体流动，以及从冶金角度了解什么构成无缺陷界面。这将包括关于特定覆层/芯合金组合的凝固条件预测(带验证)和界面特征的详细信息。为了实现这一总体目标，必须采取数学建模、冶金表征和实验室工艺测量的多方面方法。对加拿大的好处包括：i)开发特定知识并将其转让给产业合作伙伴Novelis；ii)教育1个硕士学位。三)滑铁卢大学扩大国际领先的铝合金冶金加工专业知识。

For the past 70 years, Direct Chill (DC) casting has been the mainstay of the aluminum industry for the production of monolithic sheet products. In 2006, Novelis unveiled an innovative change that has the possibility of revolutionizing the DC casting process such that it allows the production of a multi-alloy laminated ingot using a bimetal casting process. Novelis calls this new technology Fusion Technology. Of paramount importance for the successful commercialization of this new technology is a scientific and quantitative understanding of the bimetal casting process used to co-cast the laminate ingot as a single monolithic ingot. This knowledge is critical, as it will provide scientific guidance towards optimization and understanding of the bimetal casting process. The overall objective will be to develop scientific understanding of the bimetal casting process including the heat transfer and fluid flow as well as from a metallurgical perspective what constitutes a defect free interface. This will include detailed information on the prediction of solidification conditions (with validation) and interface characteristics for specific clad/core alloy combinations. To achieve the overall goal, a multi faceted approach of mathematical modelling, metallurgical characterization and laboratory process measurements is necessary. The benefits to Canada include i) the development and transfer of specific knowledge to the industrial partner, Novelis, ii) the education of 1 M.A.Sc. student, 1 Ph.D. student and one postdoctoral fellow (the need for HQP has been identified by the industry) and iii) the expansion of internationally leading expertise on metallurgical processing of aluminum alloys at the University of Waterloo.