DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATIONS OF OPTCAST - A THERMAL BOUNDARY CONDITION AND CASTING PROCESS OPTIMIZATION TOOL

摘要

OptCast is an integrated thermal optimization tool coupling commercial casting simulation software, with optimization software iSIGHT. Two types of optimizations are realized in OptCast: one is using an inverse modeling approach to determine boundary conditions such as interfacial heat transfer coefficients, and the other is optimizing casting process variables by minimizing cycle time while maintaining casting quality. In this paper, the global architecture of OptCast for the commercial casting simulation software, MagmaSoft, is briefly described. The development of interfacial heat transfer coefficients (IHTC) with OptCast for casting processes and water quenching processes is discussed. The optimized IHTC for a specific casting process are applied to a V8 engine block for thermal analysis with sufficient accuracy to enable prediction of microstructures and mechanical properties. The optimized IHTC for a water quenching process were applied to a cylinder head for residual stress analysis.