Faculty Publications
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Item Effect of chemical modification of Al-Si alloys on thermal diffusivity and contact heat transfer at the casting-chill interface(2012) Prabhu, K.N.; Jayananda; Hegde, S.The heat flow during the unidirectional downward solidification of Al-7Si and Al-12Si alloys was analyzed using thermal analysis technique and inverse modeling. Chills instrumented with thermocouples were brought into contact with a small pool of liquid metal so as to minimize the effect of convection caused by pouring and temperature gradients. Modification melt treatment resulted in an increase in the cooling rate of the solidifying casting near the casting-chill interfacial region. The corresponding interfacial heat flux transients were also found to be higher. The thermal diffusivities of alloys were measured using a laser pulse technique and were found to be higher for modified alloys. However, the increase in the heat flux transients was attributed mainly to the improvement in the casting-chill interfacial thermal contact condition brought about by the decrease in the surface tension of the liquid metal upon the addition of sodium. Copyright © 2012 by ASTM International.Item Estimation of spatially dependent heat flux transients during quenching of inconel probe in molten salt bath(ASTM International, 2017) Pranesh Rao, K.M.; Prabhu, K.N.Several industrial heat treatment processes, such as martempering and austempering, require a quench bath to be maintained at a temperature ranging between 150°C–600°C. Molten salts, molten alkali, and hot oils are the preferred quenchants for these processes. Molten salts and molten alkali are preferred over hot oil because they possess properties like wide operating temperature range, excellent thermal stability, and tolerance for contaminants. In the present work, the performance of a molten potassium nitrate (KNO3) quench bath was analyzed with an Inconel probe that measured 60 mm in height and 12.5 mm in diameter. The probe was heated to 850°C and subsequently quenched in a bath maintained at 450°C. Cooling curves at different locations of the probe were recorded using the K-type thermocouples inserted into the probe. Spatially dependent transient heat flux at the metal/quenchant interface was estimated using inverse heat conduction technique. The existence of two stages of quenching—boiling stage and convection stage—was confirmed by analyzing the heat flux. The heat transfer coefficient was calculated based on heat flux obtained by the inverse method. The nonuniformity in heat transfer along the length of the probe was quantified by calculating the range of surface temperatures at each instance. The hardness distribution in an AISI 4140 steel was predicted using the temperature distribution in the Inconel probe and obtained using inverse method. Uneven distribution of hardness predicted in the probe was attributed to the nonuniform cooling of the probe during quenching. © © 2017 by ASTM International.Item Effect of section thickness on heat transfer during quenching in vegetable oils(ASTM International, 2018) Nayak, U.V.; Prabhu, K.N.In the present work, mineral, sunflower, karanja, and neem oil were used as quench media. 304 stainless steel probes with diameters of 25 mm and 50 mm were quenched in these oils to assess the effect of section diameter on heat transfer during quenching. Cooling curve analysis was carried out by instrumenting the probes at various locations with thermocouples. The heat extraction ability of oil quench media was quantified using an inverse heat conduction method. Thermal data and the predicted hardness values showed the suitability of nonedible vegetable oils as potential quenchants to heat treat steels. The predicted hardness was higher during quenching in karanja oil compared to other oil media. © © 2018 by ASTM International.Item Heat transfer during quenching of inconel probe in non-edible vegetable oils; Wärmeübertragung während des Abschreckens der Inconel-Sonde in nicht essbaren Pflanzenölen(Carl Hanser Verlag Kolbergerstrasse 22 Munchen D-81679, 2018) Nayak, U.V.; Prabhu, K.N.Non-edible vegetable oils of Karanja and neem were used as quench media in the present investigation. The cooling characteristics of quenchants were obtained using Inconel 600 alloy probe and were compared with that of a fast-quenching mineral oil quench medium. Spatiotemporal heat flux was estimated using inverse heat conduction method. Heat removed from the probe during quenching showed higher and faster heat extraction by karanja oil quench medium compared to the mineral oil. Heat transfer characteristics of neem oil were comparable with the mineral oil. Rewetting time and temperature of vegetable oils were found to be higher than that of the mineral oil. © Carl Hanser Verlag GmbH & Co. KGItem Assessment of PCM-container interfacial heat transfer using a hot/cold probe technique(John Wiley and Sons Inc. P.O.Box 18667 Newark NJ 07191-8667, 2019) Sudheer, R.; Prabhu, K.N.A novel technique for assessing heat transfer characteristics of salt-based phase change materials (PCM) was proposed here. The method is based on solution to inverse heat conduction problem. Nanoparticles (Graphite, Graphene, and multi wall carbon nanotube [MWCNT]) were dispersed in the PCM (KNO3) to assess their respective influence on heat transfer in the PCM. Graphite added PCM offered highest heat flow values and heating rates, while the pure salt-PCM offered the least. The probe material had a significant influence on the heat transfer rates at the PCM-probe interface. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.Item An experimental approach based on inverse heat conduction analysis for thermal characterization of phase change materials(Elsevier B.V., 2020) Agarwala, S.; Prabhu, K.N.A new method based on solution to inverse heat conduction problem for the assessment of solidification parameters of PCM salts has been proposed. The method estimates the mold -salt interfacial heat flux and it is used to calculate the latent heat of salt PCMs using calorimetry based energy balance equations. This method is more accurate compared to Computer Aided Cooling Curve Analysis (CACCA) techniques as it eliminates the drawbacks involved with base line fitting calculations and errors introduced due to the improper selection of solidification points. Pure salt PCMs such as KNO3 and solar salt were used for the validation of this technique. Both air and furnace cooling were adopted to demonstrate the effect of cooling rate on solidification characteristics. The wettability of salt samples on mild steel surface was analyzed to account for the difference in the thermal behavior of salts. © 2020 Elsevier B.V.Item Review of thermal characterization techniques for salt-based phase change materials(Elsevier Ltd, 2022) Agarwala, S.; Prabhu, K.N.Phase change materials (PCM)-based energy storage system is a quite promising technology for the efficient usage of the excess solar energy produced and utilize it at the hour of high demand. The major challenge here is the selection of PCMs for energy storage applications. Inorganic PCMs possess higher thermal conductivity and energy storage capacity when compared to organic PCMs. Thus, inorganic PCMs have a great potential to be used in energy storage systems majorly in medium to high-temperature applications where organic PCMs cannot be used. An accurate and reliable data on the thermophysical properties of the PCMs is essential before its selection and installation of a energy storage system. In this study, various characterization methods based on calorimetry, temperature difference, cooling rate, and cooling curve used to date are described. Methods such as conventionally used differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), T-history method, and computer-aided cooling curve analysis (CACCA) are reviewed and discussed in this study. The two modes of CACCA, Newtonian, and Fourier techniques are explained. The advantages and limitations associated with all these methods are outlined. Inverse heat conduction problem (IHCP)-energy balance method based on CACCA which is devoid of the limitations associated with the conventional characterization methods is discussed. Thermal conductivity is the main characterization parameter of the PCMs and therefore methods to measure thermal conductivity are critically reviewed in this study. Thermal cycling stability is discussed in the context of the review. © 2021 Elsevier LtdItem Assessment of Heat Transfer Characteristics of Transesterified Waste Sunflower Cooking Oil Blends for Quench Hardening(Springer, 2022) Samuel, A.; Prabhu, K.N.Mineral oils used in the heat treatment industry are derivatives of non-renewable petroleum fuel and are toxic and non-biodegradable. Vegetable oils are an ideal substitute for mineral oil due to their superior heat transfer characteristics and eco-friendliness. However, the initial cost of vegetable oils is very high. In addition, the maintenance cost of vegetable oils would be higher due to their poor thermal and oxidative stability than mineral oil. In this context, recycling and reusing waste cooking oil could be a cheaper and eco-friendly alternative. In this study, the fatty acid methyl ester (FAME) produced from the waste sunflower cooking oil through transesterification was blended with sunflower and mineral oils at various proportions. The cooling characteristics of the FAME/oil blends were assessed using the cooling curve analysis according to ASTM D6200 and ISO9950 standards. A solution to the inverse heat conduction problem was used to estimate the spatiotemporal metal/quenchant interfacial heat flux. The uniformity of heat flux was analyzed. The results indicated that blending waste cooking oil-derived FAME in sunflower oil up to 60 vol.% and mineral oil up to 50 vol.% provided comparable cooling characteristics to pure oils. The estimated heat flux transients showed a marginal decrease in peak heat flux for FAME blends in sunflower oil, whereas an increased peak heat flux with mineral oil. The FAME blends less than 60 vol.% in sunflower oil showed higher cooling uniformity. With mineral oil, the blend proportion of up to 50 vol.% increased cooling uniformities compared to pure oil. The characteristic cooling time (t85) increased with the increase in FAME blends in oils. However, the distribution of t85 in the quench probe was uniform for FAME/oil blends. © 2022, ASM International.Item A Phase Transformation Enthalpy Parameter for Modeling Quench Hardening of Steels(Springer, 2024) Samuel, A.; Pranesh Rao, K.M.P.; Prabhu, K.N.The effect of phase transformations on the steel/quenchant interfacial heat flux during quench hardening heat treatment is investigated in the present work. Experimental and modeling approaches comprising the inverse heat conduction problem (IHCP) were employed to analyze the thermal behavior of different steel grades with varying section thicknesses. The results revealed that phase transformation led to a distinctive pattern of the interfacial heat flux, characterized by a dip and subsequent rise. We observed that increasing the section thickness increases the surface heat flux for stainless steel probes without phase transformation. In contrast, the surface heat flux decreased with thicker sections in phase transformation. The increased heat evolved due to the latent heat liberation during phase transformation, and a reduction in thermal diffusivity due to increased specific heat caused a fall in the heat flow rates. Furthermore, the study proposed a phase transformation enthalpy parameter (ΔQ) to access the enthalpy change during quenching. ΔQ was consistent for a specific steel grade and independent of section thickness but varied with the cooling rate or quench media. The incorporation of phase transformation in the quenching heat transfer model is complex due to the required material data, including TTT/CCT diagrams and thermophysical properties that vary with steel grade. The study suggests directly incorporating the ΔQ values into the heat conduction equation or the IHCP model with phase transformation, simplifying the simulation process and minimizing data inputs. A database on ΔQ as a function of temperature and cooling rate would facilitate heat transfer modeling during quench hardening. © 2023, The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society and ASM International.Item Polymer/mold interfacial heat transfer during injection molding(John Wiley and Sons Inc, 2024) Kamala Nathan, D.K.; Prabhu, K.N.An experimental injection molding setup was designed and fabricated. The purpose of the setup is to cast polymer components and estimate the polymer/mold interfacial heat flux transients during injection molding. The mold plate is instrumented with K-type thermocouples to record its thermal history continuously during the cyclic process. Experiments were performed at a melt injection temperature of 280°C. Velocity and shear rate profiles were determined to assess the flow behavior of the melt. The spatiotemporal heat flux transients at the interface and the mold surface temperature were estimated using measured temperature data inside the mold as input to an inverse heat conduction problem. The estimated boundary heat flux transients were used to numerically simulate the polymer melt's cooling behavior. From the estimated heat flux and surface temperatures, heat transfer coefficients (HTC) were determined. The peak value of the HTC was 5775 W/m2K and occurred at a mold surface temperature of 35.7°C and polymer surface temperature of 47.4°C. The evolution of the air gap at the interface was quantified using an exponential fit. The estimated air gap width corresponding to peak HTC was about 4 μm and increased to about 100 μm towards the end of the solidification. While the peak heat flux is associated with the start of the formation of polymer skin on the mold surface, the peak HTC corresponds to the onset of nucleation of the air gap or a nonconforming contact. Highlights: An experimental setup to study heat transfer during injection molding. Spatiotemporal heat flux transients (q) were estimated during injection molding. Polymer temperatures were simulated using q, and HTC was determined. The peak HTC indicated the onset of nucleation of an air gap. Evolution of air gap at the interface was modeled using an exponential fit. © 2023 Society of Plastics Engineers.