Redistribution of solid inclusions in the turbulent flow of metallurgical induction furnaces

Numerical modelling of the industrial silicon single crystal growth processes

Silicon wafers produced from the silicon single crystals are the basic material for the manufacturing of various kinds of electronic devices determining the everyday life of the modern society. Silicon single crystals industrially are mainly grown by two methods - by the Czochralski and by the floating zone technique. Both of them involve various physical processes with complex interactions which makes the experimental optimization of the growth techniques a rather hard and expensive task. Therefore, mathematical modelling supported by the rapid increase of the computer power has become an effective means in the development of the industrial crystal growth. (© 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & C…

LES modelling of recirculated flows in crucible furnaces

A Model for Homogenization of Solid Alloying Admixtures in an Induction Crucible Furnace

The paper presents a methodology for identification of homogenization time of alloying inclusions in an induction crucible furnace. The methodology is based on the Large Eddy Simulation (LES) Euler-Lagrange calculation of inclusions and a regression model for size of the inclusions and their density. The presented regression model avoids the repeated LES calculations and, therefore, is suitable for an optimization task.

Particle transport in recirculated liquid metal flows

PurposeAims to present recent activities in numerical modeling of turbulent transport processes in induction crucible furnace.Design/methodology/approach3D large eddy simulation (LES) method was applied for fluid flow modeling in a cylindrical container and transport of 30,000 particles was investigated with Lagrangian approach.FindingsParticle accumulation near the side crucible boundary is determined mainly by the ρp/ρ ratio and according to the presented results. Particle settling velocity is of the same order as characteristic melt flow velocity. Particle concentration homogenization time depends on the internal flow regime. Separate particle tracks introduce very intensive mass exchang…

Thermal and Hydrodynamic Analysis of the Melting Process in the Cold Crucible Using 3D Modeling

Solid inclusions in an electromagnetically induced recirculated turbulent flow: Simulation and experiment

Abstract The paper presents the numerical and the experimental investigation of the particle-laden recirculated turbulent flow of liquid metal that is driven by electromagnetic force. Such flow is typical for induction metallurgical furnaces. The paper describes the behaviour of solid spherical particles that are mixed in the flow from a top surface of a melt and covers 3 stages of an admixing process as well as deposition of inclusions on the wall of a vessel. Experimental investigation of particles concentration at the quasi-stationary stage is fulfilled on the basis of a novel idea: ferromagnetic particles are proposed as a physical model of non-conductive inclusions in liquid metal at t…

A numerical model for coupled free surface and liquid metal flow calculation in electromagnetic field

Simulation of turbulent metal flows

Comprehensive knowledge of the heat and mass transfer processes in turbulent metal flows is required to realize efficient and reliable melting and casting processes. Experimental and numerical studies of the melt flow in induction furnaces show that the flow pattern, which comprise several vortexes of the mean flow, and the temperature distribution in the melt are significantly influenced by low-frequency large scale flow oscillations. Two- and three-dimensional hydrodynamic calculations of the melt flow, using two-equation turbulence models based on Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes approach, do not predict the large scale periodic flow instabilities obtained from the experimental data. That…

Numerical analysis of the influence of ultrasonic vibration on crystallization processes

The challenge in the future fabrication of semiconductor bulk crystals is the improvement of the crystal quality with a simultaneous increase of the yield. For that, a proper control of mass transfer within the fluid phase is required. Besides the damping of violent convective fluctuations, the thickness of the diffusion boundary layer, causing morphological instability, has to be decreased. The influence of ultrasound in molten Germanium was analyzed by numerical simulations. The simulations were provided by applying commercial software packages ANSYS ® and FLUENT ® . ANSYS ® was used to model the ultrasonic wave propagation in the whole growth system consisting of melt and crystal, crucib…

Experimental investigations and numerical modelling of the melting process in the cold crucible

PurposeAims to present recent activities in experimental investigations and numerical modelling of the induction cold crucible installation.Design/methodology/approachTemperature and velocity measurements using thermocouples and electromagnetic velocity probes were performed in aluminium melt which was used as a model melt. Measured temperature field and flow pattern were compared with transient 3D calculations based on large eddy simulation (LES) turbulence modelling scheme. Numerical results are in good coincidence with the experimental data.FindingsThe modelling results show that only 3D transient LES is able to model correctly these heat and mass transfer processes.Originality/valueIt i…

Numerical studies of the melting process in the induction furnace with cold crucible

PurposeAims to present recent activities in numerical modeling of cold crucible melting process.Design/methodology/approach3D numerical analysis was used for electromagnetic problem and 3D large eddy simulation (LES) method was applied for fluid flow modeling.FindingsThe comparative modeling shows, that higher H/D ratio of the melt is more efficient when total power consumption is considered, but this advantage is held back by higher heat losses through the crucible walls. Also, calculations reveal that lower frequencies, which are energetically less effective, provide better mixing of the melt.Originality/value3D electromagnetic model, which allows to take into account non‐symmetrical dist…

Influence of melt flow and temperature on erosion of refractory and deposit formation in aluminium melting furnaces

The deposition and erosion mechanism in induction-channel furnace for Al melting in alumino-silicate refractory is considered. The possibility of simultaneous erosion and deposition in the same cross-section of the channel is shown. The chemical reaction model causing the erosion of refractory is proposed. The erosion process is described by chemically active aluminium oxides while the deposition is caused by chemically stable aluminium oxides. The variations of erosion and deposition in the same cross-section of the channel are explained by variation of the thickness of laminar sub-layer along the perimeter.

Influence of the Richardson number on EM force driven flow structures in square-shaped crucible

Abstract This study is devoted to the experimental investigation of the turbulent melt motion in a square crucible where the flow is created by Lorentz forces generated by an external AC magnetic field. As a strong vertical thermal gradient is present in melt during a directional solidification process, a stratification effect takes place and motion in the vertical direction is damped by buoyancy forces. Such a situation arises if density of fluid layers decreases with height. Experimental velocity and temperature measurements are conducted. Transient effects, like collapse of stratification, are observed experimentally. The significance of stratification in the directional solidification m…

Convective phenomena in large melts including magnetic fields

The set of characteristic parameters which describe modern large industrial CZ silicon single crystal growth systems is introduced. The main melt flow driving mechanisms are considered, and the characteristic density values of various in the melt acting forces are estimated. The analysis is illustrated with examples of numerical simulation and comparisons with experiments.