Solidification of an initially superheated aluminum filled within a rectangular cavity is numerically studied. Emphasized is the influence of both volume contraction caused by solid-liquid density change and natural convection in the melt. Difficulties associated with the complex time-dependent solid and liquid domains, whose shapes are also a part of the solutions, are overcome by employing the boundary-fitted coordinate system. Computed results are shown in forms of transient position of the interface, temperature distribution, flow pattern, Nusselt number, and solidification fraction with respect to time. |
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