Numerical modeling of pure metal solidification using the one domain approach

Numerical modeling of pure metal solidification on the basis of the well-known Stefan model is rather difficult. The knowledge of temporary solidification front position and the local values of the solidification rate in the normal direction for time t are necessary in order to determine the new position of moving boundary for time t + ∆t. The problem is especially complicated for 2D and 3D tasks. The concept greatly simplifying the modeling of solidification process boils down to the introduction of the artificial region corresponding to the mushy zone sub-domain. For this region the substitute thermal capacity is defined and the mathematical model corresponds to the one domain approach. The artificial mushy zone appears owing to conventional enlargement of solidification point on a certain interval of temperature ∆T. The basic goal of the paper is the numerical analysis of the influence of the interval ∆T on the numerical solution simulating the thermal processes in the domain of the solidifying metal.