A new modelling method for superalloy heating in resistance furnace using FLUENT

The simulation of heating process of superalloys is of great significance to predict the temperature distribution and equilibration time of workpiece. In this paper, a new method was proposed to simulate the heating process of superalloy billet in resistance furnace for all strategies of thermal schemes using commercial CFD software FLUENT. In the model, numerical analysis of natural convection and surface thermal radiation in a chamber electric furnace having heat-conducting solid walls of finite thickness with a heat source located in the side and top walls of the furnace in conditions of convective heat exchange with environment has been carried out, and such conjugate heat transfer process was solved by FLUENT solver. Furthermore, a PID methods was proposed to control the energy source of the resistance wires based on FLUENT UDF, in order to regulate the furnace temperature according thermal scheme. This model was validated through temperature measurement experiment in a small chamber resistance furnace. Compared with the measured data, the model was adequate for predicting the temperature profile and equilibration time of superalloy. (C) 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.