A new cellular automaton—finite element coupling scheme for alloy solidification

International audienceA cellular automaton (CA) method was developed in the 1990s for the prediction of solidification grain structures. It was coupled with a finite element (FE) method to solve the energy conservation equation at the scale of the casting. Such coupling is revisited in this contribution thanks to a recently proposed front tracking method that gives the correct solution to a heat flow problem in which the undercooling of the growing fronts that define the limits of the mushy zone is taken into account. Validation is provided by considering unidirectional solidification. Comparison with a formerly proposed coupling scheme of the CAFE model clearly demonstrates the improvement achieved. The new coupling scheme developed should thus be preferred for further developments of solidification models that include undercooling of the growth fronts