Projects / Programmes
ADVANCED MODELLING AND SIMULATION OF LIQUID-SOLID PROCESSES WITH FREE BOUNDARIES
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 2.13.01 |
Engineering sciences and technologies |
Process engineering |
Multi-phase systems |
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| T000 |
Technological sciences |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| 2.03 |
Engineering and Technology |
Mechanical engineering |
Gas-liquid-solid processes, Stefan problem, dissolution, solidification, free and moving boundaries, phase field model, meshless methods
Researchers (12)
| no. |
Code |
Name and surname |
Research area |
Role |
Period |
No. of publicationsNo. of publications |
| 1. |
34213 |
PhD Artem Badasyan |
Physics |
Researcher |
2017 - 2018 |
93 |
| 2. |
30833 |
PhD Umut Hanoglu |
Process engineering |
Researcher |
2016 - 2018 |
49 |
| 3. |
37412 |
PhD Vanja Hatić |
Process engineering |
Junior researcher |
2016 - 2018 |
43 |
| 4. |
21381 |
PhD Miha Kovačič |
Manufacturing technologies and systems |
Researcher |
2016 - 2018 |
245 |
| 5. |
33584 |
PhD Qingguo Liu |
Process engineering |
Researcher |
2016 - 2018 |
33 |
| 6. |
36364 |
PhD Boštjan Mavrič |
Process engineering |
Researcher |
2016 - 2018 |
104 |
| 7. |
35031 |
PhD Katarina Mramor |
Process engineering |
Researcher |
2016 - 2018 |
60 |
| 8. |
15269 |
PhD Bojan Podgornik |
Materials science and technology |
Researcher |
2016 - 2018 |
1,130 |
| 9. |
04101 |
PhD Božidar Šarler |
Process engineering |
Head |
2016 - 2018 |
1,101 |
| 10. |
37775 |
MSc Nazia Talat |
Process engineering |
Technical associate |
2016 - 2018 |
9 |
| 11. |
23018 |
PhD Robert Vertnik |
Manufacturing technologies and systems |
Researcher |
2016 - 2018 |
221 |
| 12. |
37776 |
PhD Rizwan Zahoor |
Process engineering |
Technical associate |
2016 - 2018 |
42 |
Organisations (2)
Abstract
The scientific goals of this research project focus on enhancement of the physical modelling capabilities and further development of numerical methods for liquid-solid processes in the presence of free and moving boundaries. The physical modelling of liquid-solid systems will be on the macroscopic scale based on volume-averaged multi-phase formulation. The description of free and moving boundaries on the microscale as well as on the macro-scale will be based on the phase-field concept. This framework will be used to study the equiaxed and columnar solidification by connecting the macroscopic transport phenomena with the microstructure evolution. The mass, momentum, energy and species equations will be simultaneously solved on microscopic and macroscopic levels. The emphasis will be put on the development of simulation system for prediction of solidification in the presence of gas phase. The model assumptions will be validated based on the predictions of domestic and foreign laboratory experiments with binary alloys and data from industrial heavy steel ingot casting, and pressure and thin-strip casting of aluminium alloys. For the first time, innovative meshless solutions will be used to solve macroscopic and microscopic equations on non-uniform grids and complicated changing system geometry. The developed explicit local radial basis function collocation method will be additionaly enhanced with combined p-, r-, and h- adaptivities for efficient handling of the involved large number of unknowns and with more efficient time discretisation schemes. The existing comparison exercises for Stefan problems will be complemented with new benchmarks for solidification of multicomponent systems in the presence of free boundaries.
The project is based on further development of our internationally recognised and awarded breakthrough results, achived in the last few years with the local meshless method: the first demonstration of adaptive simulations, new efficient pressure correction algorithm, first solution of engineering turbulence modelling, simulation of magnetohydrodnamics and thermomechanics, solution of a spectra of most complicated international solidification test cases, and a completely new meshless concept for simulations of microstructure evolution that is based on the point automata instead of the cellular automata. Development of numerous industrial simulation systems, based on this new precompetitive knowledge (continuous casting of aluminium alloys and steel in the presence of electromagnetic fields, thin strip casting, hot rolling, etc.)
The proposed study is expected to gain new, experimentally verified basic knowledge regarding the physical modelling of liquid-solid processes and a meshless solution of relevant coupled set of transport equations. The study is expected to influence further experimental and theoretical developments, design and education. Specific upgrades of the deduced basic knowledge will be used for simulation of various processes in nature and technology. Organisation of three international conferences and a summer school, dealing with Stefan problems, are scheduled in the framework of the proposed project.
Significance for science
The present research project forms a part of the fundamental research spectra, conducted at the Laboratory for Simulation of Materials and Processes, Institute of Metals and Technology and Laboratory for Multiphase Processes, University of Nova Gorica. The research project belongs to the modern research area of modelling, simulation and optimisation of processes and materials which plays an increasingly important role in international research because of the needs for inexpensive products with a large know-how input, for new materials and environmentally friendly technologies. Our research contents are actively integrated in this research area by their leading basic and applied components.
In the framework of our fundamental research, we seek new approaches in multiphysics modelling of solid-liquid systems at multiple scales, with advanced meshfree methods for moving boundary problems and with development of international test cases and reference solutions for validation and verification of Stefan problems. We demonstrate leading research results in all three mentioned areas. Examples are given in points 8 and 9 of this proposal.
The international education, which stems from the present research topics, found his place in cooperation with several renowned international summer schools. Further, the research project acts as a base for the graduate education module Modelling of Materials and Processes within Bologna study Physics III, Faculty of Applied Sciences, University of Nova Gorica. Four post-graduate students, enrolled in the module, are expected to complete their Ph.D. studies within the project.
With the gained knowledge, we will be able to extend our industrial impact at least to casting of large steel ingots (inflow from the bottom) and pressure die casting (inflow through geometrically complex channels and moulds), two undoubtedly important processes for Slovenia. Slovenia has approx. 100 companies in the field of alloy manufacturing with approx. 10.000 working places, the yearly income is around 1.5 billion €. Slovenia has also approx. 50 casthouses with 4000 employees and their yearly income is around 0.5 billion €. The export of the mentioned companies all over the world is about 70%. In Slovenia they were in previous years the largest industrial investments in the modernization of metallurgical processes. The project team has a big end-user pull from these companies.
Slovenia experienced a national catastrophe in 2014, were the sleet formed on the electrical grid, railway system, forest, objects of national heritage, etc., caused damage of 430 million € between January 30 and February 27. The solidification problems with free boundaries, tackled in the framework of the present project, will allow to computationally cope with sleet formation, so we expect also end-user pull from Slovenian state authorities.
The written demonstrates the international scientific and education excellence, and relevance of the proposed research for Slovenia.
Significance for the country
The proposed project activities will be funded exclusively through support provided by the Slovenian state and complementary international projects. However, it is important to note that the specific upgrades of our previous similar fundamental projects, which provided knowledge and experience for present project, proved to found industrial application soon after development.
Most advanced among of them is multiphysics and multiscale modelling of the relations between the process parameters and temperature/velocity/concentration fields in the new continuous casting of aluminium alloys and steel technologies under presence of electromagnetic fields in companies IMPOL and Štore Steel. The meshless methods have been in addition successfully used in the design of hollow-bricks in Goriške opekarne brickworks. The mentioned examples demonstrate implementation of our basic project results, undoubtedly important for the Slovenian industry.
The top end knowledge, complemented within the proposed project, will allow the two Slovenian project partners to foster the started collaboration and export of Slovenian knowledge to global multinational metallurgical industry (for example to leading company DANIELI from Italy). As an example we indicate the work: A. Mukhopadhyay, B. Šarler, A. Polo, M. Ometto, Integration of Automation Solutions of Casting and Rolling for Better Control of Product Quality, presented at The Iron & Steel Technology Conference and Exposition, Indianapolis, USA, May 2-5, 2011.
It will also further strengthen cooperation with top academic research groups in EU and Asia. As an example (we note this because of smart specialization and excellence of our skills), we exclusively participate in design of flow conditions in streams of samples with bioparticles and macromolecules, being investigated by femtosecond crystallography in Coherent Imaging Group, DESY, Hamburg, Germany. DESY is a world leading centre for the development and use of accelerator-driven photon sources.
The written demonstrates the excellence of the industrial and scientific consortium in which the proposed project takes part.
Most important scientific results
Interim report,
final report
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Interim report,
final report
