Experimental Model for Casting Problems

The aim of our analysis is to provide a simple experimental model simulating the main flow characteristics accompanying casting processes. Hence, a hot liquid is provided under high pressure into an inclined box. The liquid propagates inside the box between two cold isothermal walls, passing obstacles simulating internal complexity of a mould. The main features of the experiment like flow acceleration and deceleration on the obstacle, a free surface flow and sudden increase of the fluid viscosity as it cools down, are typical for a solidification of melt in a mould. Opposite to a real casting, this experimental configuration allows for full control of the experimental conditions and the full field measurements of the temperature and velocity fields. Collection of the quantitative transient data of the flow should permit to verify and validate numerical models used for typical casting problems. The main aim of the investigations is to create an experimental benchmark for the mouldfilling problem