Melt Fraction Estimation Using Solid Modeling for Melting Inside a Sphere

This paper describes a method using CAD software (Solid Works) and digitizing software (WinDIG) to estimate the melt fraction of the phase change material (PCM) during melting inside a sphere. The solid liquid interface of the PCM inside the sphere is captured using a digital camera at a particular instant of time. Using the digitizing software, the coordinates of the solid liquid interface are captured. The coordinates are imported into the CAD software to create the solid model of the melted solid PCM. The amount of solid melted inside the sphere can then be estimated and thus the melt fraction at that particular instant can be determined. The method described could be useful in the analysis of experimental data during materials processing. (C) 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 18: 290-297, 2010: Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com): DOI 10.1002/cae.20258