抽拉速度对单晶叶片定向凝固过程的影响

建立了单晶高温合金涡轮叶片定向凝固过程数值计算的有限元模型,利用Pro CAST软件模拟计算了叶片在定向凝固工艺下不同抽拉速率时叶片凝固过程的固-液界面形状、纵向温度梯度、冷却速率和二次枝晶间距,预测了抽拉速率对杂晶形成的影响。结果表明,随着抽拉速率增大,温度梯度略有降低,二次枝晶间距减小;随着抽拉速率增大,叶片冷却速率增大,而起晶器和选晶器中的冷却速率不受抽拉速率的影响。     

基于ProCast的镍基单晶高温合金数值模拟

采用ProCast软件和CAFE模型对不同工艺条件下的DD3镍基高温合金的定向凝固过程进行了模拟,分析了抽拉速度对糊状区的影响及加热区温度和抽拉速度对定向凝固温度场和枝晶二次臂间距的影响规律。结果表明,提高加热区温度和抽拉速度,可以获得更细化的微观组织,降低二次枝晶臂间距,但是抽拉速度过大,糊状区宽度变宽,糊状区位置下移,界面下凹,叶片平台处容易出现杂晶,因此抽拉速度需要控制在一个合理范围内。     

液态金属冷却法制备重型燃机定向结晶空心叶片凝固过程的实验与模拟

利用高温度梯度定向凝固-液态金属冷却(LMC)技术制备了重型燃机定向结晶空心高压涡轮叶片,采用Pro CAST有限元模拟软件计算了LMC定向凝固工艺下,不同抽拉速率时空心定向结晶叶片凝固过程的温度场、晶粒组织以及一次枝晶间距(PDAS),预测了抽拉速率对杂晶、雀斑等缺陷的影响.结果表明,模拟结果与实验结果吻合良好.随着抽拉速率增加,叶片的凝固速率、冷却速率均增加,远高于高速凝固法(HRS)的凝固速率、冷却速率;叶片不同部位达到最大纵向温度梯度时的抽拉速率不同,纵向温度梯度是评价定向工艺的有效方法;LMC工艺制备的燃机叶片消除了雀斑缺陷,PDAS远小于HRS工艺.     

工艺条件对镍基高温合金DD483单晶叶片中杂晶缺陷的影响

利用Bridgman定向凝固工艺进行了高温合金DD483单晶叶片铸造试验,通过调整抽拉速度和使用不同型壳材料研究了工艺条件对杂晶缺陷的影响。结果表明,叶片中的杂晶缺陷一般出现在横截面突然扩大的缘板部位。铸件下部的外侧比内侧更易生成杂晶,但在上部则相反,即铸件内侧的杂晶缺陷更严重。在缘板部位降低抽拉速度能有效减少杂晶缺陷。在使用国产型壳时合金DD483叶片的单晶率非常低,但使用进口的纯刚玉型壳时叶片质量有明显提高,这说明型壳材料对单晶叶片中杂晶的形成有明显影响。     

PMO对定向凝固GCr15轴承钢枝晶臂间距的影响

为了解脉冲磁致振荡(pulse magneto-oscillation, PMO)技术对GCr15轴承钢定向凝固组织的作用，通过改变PMO参数和抽拉速率，研究了不同抽拉速率下PMO对定向凝固GCr15轴承钢枝晶臂间距的影响。结果表明：在相同抽拉速率下，PMO的峰值电流依次为150、250、350k_i A时，GCr15轴承钢的一次和二次枝晶臂间距先增大后减小。当峰值电流固定为350k_i A时，随着PMO频率从90、240、390k_f Hz依次增大，一次枝晶臂间距先减小后增大，二次枝晶臂间距逐渐变大。同时，随着抽拉速率的提高，枝晶臂间距减小幅度逐渐降低。通过测量温度梯度发现，在PMO作用下，固-液界面前沿液相中温度梯度的提高和溶质分布的变化，是枝晶臂间距减小的主要原因。     

凝固速率对定向凝固合金DZ22枝晶臂间距和枝晶偏析的影响

采用新研制的超高梯度定向凝固装置，研究了不同凝固速率下定向凝固高温合金ＤＺ２２枝晶臂间距和枝晶偏析。结果表明，冷运速率增大，枝晶臂间距显著细化，枝晶偏析被强烈抑制。当冷运速率为５２．４Ｋ．ｓ＾－１时，一次、二次枝晶臂间距λ１和λ２分别为２８．８和８．４μｍ，Ｎｂ，Ｔｉ，Ａｌ，Ｃｒ，Ｃｏ，Ｗ等元素的偏析比均趋近于１。     

镍基单晶高温合金定向凝固组织的数学模型表征

通过改变定向凝固工艺研究了镍基单晶高温合金铸态组织的演化规律,并用数学模型对试验结果进行了拟合。结果表明,随着抽拉速率的增大,合金铸态组织的凝固界面经历了胞状-粗枝状-细枝状的转变;铸态组织一次枝晶间距试验结果介于Hunt模型和Trivedi模型之间;通过对试验数据的非线性回归分析,得到一次枝晶间距λ1和抽拉速率V之间满足的回归公式;随抽拉速率的增大,二次枝晶间距减小,但Re和Ru的添加对一次和二次枝晶间距的影响较小。     

镍基高温合金单晶叶片凝固组织模拟

采用CAF模型对DZ445高温合金单晶叶片定向凝固组织进行了数值模拟,在CAF模型中分别采用高斯分布连续形核模型和扩展KGT模型描述晶粒形核和枝晶尖端生长速率,研究了组模方式和抽拉速率对叶片凝固组织的影响。结果表明,倾斜组模可消除缘板杂晶,但可能会引入新的杂晶;抽拉速率越小越易形成单晶,抽拉速率越大越易形成杂晶;分段变速抽拉可消除缘板杂晶,但变速的位置距缘板应保持一定距离,此距离随叶片尺寸和抽拉速率而发生变化。     

液态金属冷却法制备DD403合金过程温度场和晶粒组织的数值模拟

采用ProCAST和CAFE模型模拟了镍基单晶高温合金DD403定向凝固过程中的温度场及晶粒组织。研究了抽拉速率对变截面单晶铸件杂晶形成和铸件板身固液界面形状和位置的影响规律,得到了单晶铸件不出现杂晶的最大抽拉速率——临界抽拉速率(V c)。结果表明,当采用150μm/s的抽拉速率时,对于液态金属冷却(LMC)技术,铸件平台的凝固顺序是从中心到两边,杂晶形成倾向较小;而在高速凝固(HRS)条件下,铸件平台的边缘首先冷却,平台边缘容易出现大的过冷而产生杂晶。在本实验条件下,采用HRS技术,临界抽拉速率不得高于125μm/s;采用LMC技术,最大抽拉速率不宜超过150μm/s,否则可能会在螺旋段或平台处形成杂晶。当抽拉速率为150μm/s时,采用LMC法获得的板身部位的轴向温度梯度(G a)是HRS法的2倍多;一次枝晶臂间距(PDAS)减小了1/3~1/2,且沿铸件轴向的轴向温度梯度和一次枝晶臂间距均较HRS均匀。当抽拉速率在50~200μm/s范围内增大时,采用LMC技术,铸件板身的固液界面始终保持平直且逐渐下移至隔热挡板中部;而HRS条件下,固液界面逐渐下凹并下移至挡板下方。     

基于ProCAST二次开发的叶片LMC凝固特征模拟

燃气涡轮单晶叶片往往具有空心的复杂曲面结构和缘板、叶冠等横截面的突变,非常容易形成杂晶等缺陷。液态金属冷却(LMC)作为一种新型的定向凝固工艺有望解决这一问题,但是尚需用数值模拟进行辅助优化。文中建立了LMC数理模型,通过对ProCAST二次开发建立了浸入过程动态复合边界条件,实现了叶片LMC工艺下的温度场和枝晶参数的数值模拟,考察了工艺对温度梯度、糊状区形态、缺陷指数等凝固特征的影响。LMC能够得到比传统工艺更高的温度梯度和更小的糊状区宽度,在叶片厚大部位能够缩短局域凝固时间,得到更细的枝晶。同时,由于LMC的糊状区形态有利于单晶组织在缘板的推进,抑制了杂晶形核,因而提高了许用拉速,有利于提高生产效率和进一步细化组织、避免雀斑偏析和等轴晶转变(CET)趋势。     

Multiscale modelling and simulation of single crystal superalloy turbine blade casting during directional solidification process

As the key parts of an aero-engine,single crystal（SX）superalloy turbine blades have been the focus of much attention.However,casting defects often occur during the manufacturing process of the SX turbine blades.Modeling and simulation technology can help to optimize the manufacturing process of SX blades.Multiscale coupled models were proposed and used to simulate the physical phenomena occurring during the directional solidification（DS）process.Coupled with heat transfer（macroscale）and grain growth（meso-scale）,3D dendritic grain growth was calculated to show the competitive grain growth at micro-scale.SX grain selection behavior was studied by the simulation and experiments.The results show that the geometrical structure and technical parameters had strong influences on the grain selection effectiveness.Based on the coupled models,heat transfer,grain growth and microstructure evolution of a complex hollow SX blade were simulated.Both the simulated and experimental results show that the stray grain occurred at the platform of the SX blade when a constant withdrawal rate was used in manufacturing process.In order to avoid the formation of the stray crystal,the multi-scale coupled models and the withdrawal rate optimized technique were applied to the same SX turbine blade.The modeling results indicated that the optimized variable withdrawal rate can achieve SX blade castings with no stray grains,which was also proved by the experiments.     

Influence of platform position on stray grain nucleation in Ni-based single-crystal dummy blade clusters

Stray grains are the most severe of the solidification defects that occur in the industrial single-crystal blade preparation process. In this study, a single-crystal dummy blade cluster with different crystal orientations controlled by the seeding method was prepared, and the influence of the position of the circular platform (relative to the sample and furnace body) on stray grain nucleation was investigated. Results show that the microstructure of the circular platforms could be divided into the center, expansion, and stray grain regions. The inside of the circular platform facing the center of the cluster is more prone to stray grain formation than the outside of the circular platform facing the furnace body. With an increase in the distance between the circular platform and the bottom of the dummy blade cluster, the stray grain region expands, whereas the expansion region narrows. The stray grain is slightly aggravated with increase of the misorientation. Finally, the mechanism underlying the influence of platform position on the formation of stray grains in single-crystal dummy blade clusters is discussed based on the temperature evolution during directional solidification.

     

Simulation of stray grain formation in Ni-base single crystal turbine blades fabricated by HRS and LMC techniques

The simulation models of the thermal and macrostructural evolutions during directional solidification of Ni-base single crystal(SX) turbine blades under high rate solidification(HRS) and liquid metal cooling(LMC) have been constructed using Pro CAST software, coupled with a 3D Cellular Automaton Finite Element(CAFE) model. The models were used to investigate the tendencies of stray grain(SG) formation in the platform region of turbine blades fabricated by HRS and LMC techniques. The results reveal that the LMC technique can prohibit SG formation by smoothing the concaved isotherm and in turn alleviating the undercooling in the platform ends to let the dendrites fill up the undercooled zone before SG nucleation. The simulation results agreed well with the experimental results, indicating that these models could be used to analyze the macrostructural evolution or to optimize process parameters to suppress SG formation. Using these models, the critical withdrawal rate for casting SX turbine blades without SG formation were determined to be around 75 μm·s~(-1) and 100 μm·s~(-1) for HRS and LMC respectively, suggesting that LMC can be used as an efficient technique in fabricating SX turbine blades without any SG defect formation.     

Effect of mould baffle technology on stray grain formation in single crystal blades by integral fabrication based on 3D printing

Stray grains, the most serious casting defect, mainly occur in the platform because of the abrupt transition of the cross-section in the directional solidification of superalloy single-crystal blades. A new mould baffle technology based on 3D printing and gelcasting is proposed herein to reduce the formation of stray grains in the platform. The influence of the proposed mould baffle technology on the temperature field in the platform during solidification was investigated by simulation and experiment. The numerical simulation results indicate that the proposed mould baffle technology can effectively hinder the radiation and heat dissipation at the platform extremities, and therefore, reduce undercooling in the platform and the formation of stray grains during directional solidification. Casting trials of a hollow turbine blade were conducted using CMSX-4 superalloy. The trial results demonstrate the potential of the proposed approach for manufacturing single-crystal superalloy blades.

     

电渣熔铸速度对金属凝固组织的影响

采用移动传热边界法及CAFE法,模拟了在不同熔铸速度下铸锭晶粒的生长过程以及二次枝晶臂间距的分布,进而探讨了熔铸速度对铸件凝固质量的影响。结果发现,电渣熔铸过程中,金属熔池的形状决定了柱状晶的生长方向。随着熔铸速度的增加,生长方向与熔池上升方向之间的夹角也增大,这会造成铸件力学性能的降低。二次枝晶臂间距是决定铸件冶金质量的一个重要因素,其是铸件局部冷却速度的函数。随着熔化率的增加,二次枝晶臂间距减小,这有利于减小铸件中的晶内偏析及显微缩孔的产生,从而有利于提高铸件质量。熔铸速度是电渣熔铸过程的主要控制参数,对铸件凝固质量有很大的影响,太高或太低的熔铸速度均会造成铸件凝固质量的降低。     

Temperature evolution and grain defect formation during single crystal solidification of a blade cluster

In order to investigate the asymmetry of thermal conditions during directional solidification, the temperature evolution and correspondingly developed undercooling in a simplified single crystal blade cluster were numerically simulated. Simulation results demonstrate that the temperature distribution at the blade platforms is obviously asymmetrical. On the outside of the blade which directly faces the heating element, the liquidus (TL) isotherms progress relatively smoothly. On the inside of the blades facing the central rod, however, the TL-isotherms are in concave shape and the slope goes upwards to the platform extremities. The average undercooling extent ?T and undercooling time ?t at the inside are much higher than those at the outside. It was then predicted that the inside platform extremities have significantly higher probabilities of stray grain formation compared to the outside ones. A corresponding experiment was carried out and the metallographic examination exhibited the same side- and height-dependence of stray grain formation in the blades as predicted. On the inside of the blades, all platforms are occupied by stray grains, while the platforms on the outside are nearly stray grain free. The simulation result agrees very well with the experimental observation.     

一种镍基单晶叶片叶身-缘板转接区铸造缺陷的形成机理

某种铸态镍基单晶叶片腐蚀后,观察到叶身-缘板转接区存在一种形状规则的条带状杂晶缺陷,且具有方向性,其长度方向平行(或垂直)于叶身和缘板的枝晶生长方向。采用光镜法(OM)、电子探针(EPMA)和电子背散射衍射技术(EBSD),分别研究了缺陷的组织、成分、取向,采用ProCAST模拟研究了缘板区域的温度场和过冷度分布。研究结果表明,叶身-缘板转接区杂晶缺陷由多个柱状晶粒构成;柱状晶粒的组织和成分与缘板基体一致,与基体的取向差形成小角度和大角度晶界;叶身-缘板转接区的过冷度比缘板边缘小,为缘板上的最后凝固区域。在此基础上,提出叶身-缘板转接区杂晶缺陷的形成机理,为消除该缺陷提供了理论基础。     

Modeling of grain selection during directional solidification of single crystal superalloy turbine blade castings

Single crystal superalloy turbine blades are currently widely used as key components in gas turbine engines. The single crystal turbine blade casting’s properties are quite sensitive to the grain orientation determined directly by the grain selector geometry of the casting, A mathematical model was proposed for the grain selection during directional solidification of turbine blade casting. Based on heat transfer modeling of the directional withdrawing process, the competitive grain growth within the starter block and the spiral of the grain selector were simulated by using the cellular automaton method (CA). Validation experiments were carried out, and the measured results were compared quantitatively with the predicted results. The model could be used to predict the grain morphology and the competitive grain evolution during solidification, together with the distribution of grain orientation of primary <001> dendrite growth direction, with respect to the longitudinal axis of the turbine blade casting.     

Dendritic branching patterns in platforms of complex Ni-based single crystal castings

Dendritic branching patterns at variable cross-sections in Ni-based single crystal(SX) castings of different generations were investigated using optical microscope(OM), electro probe microanalyzer(EPMA),differential scanning calorimeter(DSC), Thermo-Cal software and Pro-CAST software. Results show that the dendritic branching patterns are similar in outward platform in SXs of different generations. That is, the primary dendrites(PDs) are introduced into the platform by developing a series of secondary dendrites(SDs) to occupy the bottom of the platform, and the ternary dendrites(TDs) originating from these SDs grow upward to fill up the platform. With the SX generation increasing, the undercooling of melts in the inward platform increases significantly due to the increasing alloying elements and the segregation in the directional solidification(DS)process, and the growth velocity of the dendrite tip increases according to the dynamic model of dendrite growth,which is beneficial for the high-order dendrite development. The stronger dendritic branching ability is shown in the inward platform of the higher generation Ni-based SX.     

Effects of Substrate Crystallographic Orientations on Microstructure in Laser Surface-Melted Single-Crystal Superalloy:Theoretical Analysis

A geometric analysis technique for crystal growth and microstructure development in single-crystal welds had been previously developed.And the effect of welding conditions on the tendency of stray grains formation during solidification was researched.In the present work,these analytical methods were further extended.Combined with an original vectorization method,a 3D Rosenthal solution was used to determine thermal conditions of the welds.Afterward,the dendrite growth orientation,the dendrite growth velocity and the thermal gradient along dendrite direction were calculated and lively plotted.Finally,the tendency of stray grains formation in the solidification front was forecasted and its distribution was presented with a 3D plot.The results indicate that substrate orientation has some impacts on the crystal growth pattern,dendrite growth velocity,distribution of thermal gradient and stray grain.Based on the research methods proposed in this work,any substrate crystallographic orientation can be studied,and predicted stray grains distribution can be visualized.