FEM/FDM-joint simulation for transport phenomena in directionally solidifying shaped TiAl casting under electromagnetic field

Numerical techniques for FEM/FDM joint simulation of solidification heat, mass and momentum transport phenomena in directional solidification processes of shaped alloy castings under electromagnetic (EM) fields are developed. In the present joint computer modeling for the EM-fields coupled solidification transport processes, the relevant EM-fields are calculated using a FEM-scheme-based computer code, while the changing fields of temperature, solid-fraction, concentrations, pressure and flow velocity of liquid phase are simulated by the FDM-based numerical methods extended from a previous numerical solidification model of the authors. Specific data-processing techniques are proposed for the conversion of FEM-based EM-fields results to those in the FDM format. The sample computations for EM-fields influenced solidification transport processes of directionally solidified gamma(TiAl)-Al% castings are performed to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed solidification model and numerical methods.