MICROSTRVCTURE SIMULATION AND PROCESS OPTIMIZATION OF TURBINE BLADE CASTINGS

The probabilistic modeling is applied to calculate microstructural features of the thin complex smprolloy turbine blades cast by the vacuum investment process. The random distribution, orientation and physical mechanism of the nucleation, the growth kinetics of dendrites and the columnar-to-equiaxed transition (CET) are considered.Capitalizing on these simulating schemes, the comprehensive influence of key process variables on the scale and uniformity of grains has been involved quantitatively. The validity of the modeling is confirmed by selection of the optimum process variables.