Numerical and Experimental Modeling of the Recirculating Melt Flow Inside an Induction Crucible Furnace
Abstract
In the paper, a new water model of the turbulent recirculating flow in an induction furnace is introduced. The water model was based on the principle of the stirred vessel used in process engineering. The flow field in the water model was measured by means of particle image velocimetry in order to verify the model's performance. Here, it is indicated that the flow consists of two toroidal vortices similar to the flow in the induction crucible furnace. Furthermore, the turbulent flow in the water model is investigated numerically by adopting eddy-resolving turbulence modeling. The two toroidal vortices occur in the simulations as well. The numerical approaches provide identical time-averaged flow patterns. Moreover, a good qualitative agreement is observed on comparing the experimental and numerical results. In addition, a numerical simulation of the melt flow in a real induction crucible furnace was performed. The turbulent kinetic energy spectrum of the flow in the water model was compared to that of the melt flow in the induction crucible furnace to show the similarity in the nature of turbulence.
- Publication:
-
Metallurgical and Materials Transactions B
- Pub Date:
- June 2018
- DOI:
- 10.1007/s11663-018-1200-4
- Bibcode:
- 2018MMTB...49.1378A
- Keywords:
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- Induction Crucible Furnace (ICF);
- Melt Flow;
- Toroidal Vortex;
- Water Model;
- Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV)