Macroscale modeling of multi-physics fields during vacuum arc remelting of Ti-6Al-4V

A 3-D finite element model has been established using ANSYS12.0 software to simulate multi-physical interaction behavior during the Vacuum Arc Remelting (VAR) of 740-mm-diameter ingots of Ti-6Al-4V. The models of temperature field, electromagnetic and flow field were combined by progressive method. The effect of thermal contraction was considered in the simulation of temperature field and electromagnetic by setting a thin layer with different nature parameters at the ingot-crucible interface. The model results demonstrate the distributions of temperature, Lorenz force and flow velocity, and the influence of water cooling conditions, melting current and other process parameters. The molten pool behavior is mostly dominated by buoyancy force under circumstances in this case. The increase of the melting current results in an increase of the pool depth and melting rate, and causes great change of the molten pool profile, while the influence of the water cooling conditions is ignored.