Numerical Research on Magnetic Field, Temperature Field and Flow Field During Melting and Directionally Solidifying TiAl Alloys by Electromagnetic Cold Crucible

The electromagnetic cold crucible (EMCC) technique is an effective method to melt and directionally solidify reactive and high-temperature materials without contamination. The temperature field and fluid flow induced by the electromagnetic field are very important for melting and controlling the microstructure. In this article, a 3D EMCC model for calculating the magnetic field in the charges (TiAl alloys) using the T-Ω finite element method was established and verified. Magnetic fields in the charge under different electrical parameters, positions and dimensions of the charge were calculated and analyzed. The calculated results show that the magnetic field concentrates in the skin layer, and the magnetic flux density (B) increases with increasing of the frequency, charge diameter and current. The maximum B in the charge is affected by the position of the charge in EMCC (h1) and the charge height (h2), which emerges at the middle of coils (hc) when the relationship of hc < h1 + h2 < hc + δ is satisfied. Lower frequency and smaller charge diameter can improve the uniformity of the magnetic field in the charge. Consequently, the induced uniform electromagnetic stirring weakens the turbulence and improves temperature uniformity in the vicinity of the solid/liquid (S/L) interface, which is beneficial to forming a planar S/L interface during directional solidification. Based on the above conclusions, the TiAlNb alloy was successfully melted with lower power consumption and directionally solidified by the square EMCC.