Simulation of Stirring in Stir Casting

Now-a-days, Aluminum Matrix Composites (AMCs) are extensively used in industrial applications. For AMCs, stir casting is the cheapest and most flexible productiontechnique. Homogeneity of the reinforcement particle in the final cast determines the intended properties of composite material. However, the effect of the stirring parameters on the homogeneity of the particle distribution in the composite is not well studied. In this paper, the stirring action is simulated to correlate with the experimental results. For this a computational model of stir casting is developed. Effect of important stirring parameters such as speed and number of blades in the stirrer are studied. The effectiveness of stirring is quantified based on the shear rate developed in the flow field. The results obtained using the model was found to be in good correlation with the published experimental results.