Finite-element analysis on thermornechanical behavior of a marine propeller casting in the sand-casting process

Thermal deformation of a large marine propeller casting during solidification and cooling was analyzed by a coupled thermomechanical finite-element analysis (FEA). The calculated displacements on the blade in the z-direction were compared with the measured values that confirmed the effectiveness of FEA for the prediction of thermal deformation. The effect of the shake-out time and method on the deformation of the propeller casting was also investigated. The longer the shake-out time, the smaller the deformation. For controlling the deformation of the propeller casting, the sequential shake-out was a more efficient method than the simultaneous shake-out.