Abstract

We investigate convection driven by induction heating of a horizontal fluid layerThe application of induction technology has been investigated by multi-physical numerical modelling to realize a smart surface remelting process, which leads to a number of technical and economic advantages in a double layer metal composition. The self cooling gradient effect inside the workpiece can be advantageous used to get a desirable material structure after surface remelting followed by rapid solidification. In order to apply and optimize the induction remelting process two-dimensional transient multi-physical numerical models of the heating, melting and solidification process including turbulent melt flow in the liquid phase and dynamic free melt surface deformation caused by electromagnetic forces and intensive melt flow have been developed. The reliability of the presented modelling approaches has been validated in advance by measurements carried out from various experimental investigations. The results show how the remelting and solidification process depends on various process parameters, like inductor design, inductor current and frequency, as well as material properties of the surface metal layer.

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