Validation of SPH predictions of oxide generated during Al melt transfer

Aluminium melt transfer operations lead to dross formation via splashing/turbulence. Optimisation may be achieved by employing computational modelling to explore the effects of various process parameters. Existing mesh-based modelling techniques are limited due to their inability to carry history information such as accumulated oxide mass per-node. Instead, the grid-free Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics method with its Lagrangian framework is used to predict the oxide mass generated during a melt transfer from a tilting furnace into a sow mould. An oxidation model based on laboratory-scale skimming trials is used. Favourable comparisons with experimentally measured oxide levels are obtained for various transfer rates.