MATERIALS PROPERTY PREDICTOR FOR CAST ALUMINUM ALLOYS

摘要

A device and article of manufacture to predict material properties of a cast aluminum-based component. In one form, a computer-based system includes numerous computation modules programmably cooperative with one another such that upon receipt of data that corresponds to the cast aluminum-based component, the modules provide performance indicia of the material. The modules include a thermodynamic calculation module, a thermal-physical property module, a mechanical property module and a materials selection or alloy design module. The combination of the modules along with known material and geometric databases—in addition to microstructural and defect databases—promotes the generation of materials properties needed for casting design, casting process simulation, CAE nodal property mapping and durability analysis.

主权项

1. A device for predicting properties of a material used in a cast aluminum component, said device comprising:
a data input, a data output, at least one processing unit and at least one of data-containing memory and instruction-containing memory that are cooperative with one another through a data communication path; and a plurality of computation modules programmably cooperative with at least one of said data input, data output, processing unit and memories through said data communication path such that upon receipt of data pertaining to said component and said material, said device subjects said data to said plurality of modules in order that output data generated thereby provides performance indicia of said material, said modules comprising:
a thermodynamic calculation module configured to receive data from a thermodynamic database that corresponds to said material;a thermal-physical property module configured to (a) receive data from said input that corresponds to said material and (b) exchange data with said thermodynamic calculation module;a mechanical property module configured to receive (a) data from said input that corresponds to said material and (b) data from at least one of (i) a casting process simulation and (ii) defects and microstructure calculations; anda materials selection or alloy design module configured to (a) exchange data with said thermodynamic calculation module, thermal-physical property module and mechanical property module and (b) convey data that corresponds to said material to said output.