Abstract
This paper presents the results of an analysis aimed at determining the influence of changing operating conditions in the centrifugal infiltration casting. It considers the effect of centrifugal force on infiltration and heat transfer. The molten aluminum flow with heat transfer though SiC porous media in a centrifugal force field is described using a mathematical and physical model by employing the local thermal nonequilibrium between the solid and fluid phases. The calculation results show that the temperature difference between molten aluminum and SiC porous media in the infiltrated region decreases with the contact time. There are two distinctly noticeable stages of infiltration velocity: the onset stage of infiltration, which drops down sharply, and the following stage of smooth velocity. The operating conditions have important effects on the infiltration velocity and temperature patterns of fluid and solid. A suitable rotational speed and SiC volume fraction should be chosen to ensure the flow of molten metal in the porous preform and diminish the temperature difference between fluid and solid. ยฉ 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Heat Trans Asian Res, 32(6): 501โ510, 2003; Published online in Wiley InterScience (www.interscience.wiley.com). DOI 10.1002/htj.10114