Cooling Steel Die for Contact Cooling of Aluminium - Advice Needed

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the design of a cooling system for aluminum using a steel die with integrated cooling chambers. Participants explore the complexities of achieving a specific cooling rate of 100°C per second and the factors influencing heat transfer between the aluminum and the cooling water.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • Lewis describes a system where water is pumped through cooling chambers in a steel die to cool aluminum placed on top, seeking advice on the necessary water temperature for a cooling rate of 100°C/s.
  • Participants request additional details, including sketches of the system, to better understand the setup and parameters involved.
  • One participant notes the importance of specifying the final temperature of the aluminum before removal from the die, which affects contact time and heat transfer dynamics.
  • Concerns are raised about the effectiveness of heat transfer from the aluminum to the water, suggesting that the mass of the die may play a significant role in cooling.
  • Questions are posed regarding the purpose of the apparatus and the choice of steel as the material for the cooling block, with suggestions for alternative materials like oil or water baths for cooling.
  • Another participant emphasizes the variability of results when cooling plates, indicating that multiple factors can influence the cooling process.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express varying opinions on the effectiveness of the cooling method and the materials used. There is no consensus on the optimal approach or the specific calculations needed for the cooling process.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight the need for precise definitions and parameters, such as the final temperature for aluminum removal and the thermal energy calculations involved. The discussion reflects uncertainty regarding the cooling dynamics and the influence of different materials.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in thermal management, materials science, and engineering design, particularly in the context of metal processing and cooling systems.

Lewisjamesfc
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Hi,

I am designing a system to cool aluminium through contact cooling. I have a steel die with
9x 20mm diameter cooling chambers. Water is pumped through the chambers which cools the steel die and hopefully the aluminium sitting on top of it.

I am looking to find the temperature of the water needed to cool the steel at a rate of 100C / s. Obviously this is much more complicated than a standard convection and conduction equations. I was just looking for some advice on where to start.

Thanks,
Lewis ( A stressed student )
 
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Please tell us some more about this problem .

A sketch of the aluminium component and the die would be helpful .
 
Nidum said:
Please tell us some more about this problem .

A sketch of the aluminium component and the die would be helpful .

Yeah sorry, I have attached a diagram of the system and drawn the aluminium part to the side but it would normally sit on top of the shaded tool steel die inside the base that has the chambers.

Basically the aluminium is placed in the die at 550 degrees c which should then be cooled by transferring the heat to the water traveling through the base (in Theory) by 100C per second.

BASE:
L=340mm
H=100mm
W= 500mm

DIE:
L=340mm
H=50mm
W=410mm

COOLING CHAMBERS:
L=340mm
D=25mm

ALUMINIUM
L=340mm
W=410mm
H=5mm

Any help would be greatly appreciated,
Thanks,
Lewis
 

Attachments

You specify an initial maximum rate of cooling as 100°C/sec, but not what temperature it must fall to before the Al is removed from contact with the die. That will decide the contact time with the die and therefore the heat that must be removed from the die by the water.

The best heat transfer would be when the Al was clamped between two such cold steel dies. The moment clamping pressure is removed the rate of heat loss will be reduced by the air gap that will form as the Al changes radius by differential cooling.

Flow of heat from the Al to the water through the tool and cast steel will be slow compared with the rate of Al cooling, so it will be the mass of the cold tool steel in the die that cools the Al. For that reason the die will probably need to be cooled continuously. You will be limited to a cycle time by the heat content of the Al and the rate of heat removal in the water. If the process cycle repeats then the internal temperature of the die should be monitored so as to prevent over heating of the die. A hotter die will not rapidly cool the Al.

1. At what temperature can the Al be removed from the die?
2. How much thermal energy must be removed from the Al to drop the Al temperature from 550°C to the removal temperature?
 
What is the goal of this apparatus? What is causing the aluminum to become hot and why?

Why was steel chosen? Can you use another material for the cooling block?

BoB
 
rbelli1 said:
What is the goal of this apparatus? What is causing the aluminum to become hot and why?

Why was steel chosen? Can you use another material for the cooling block?

BoB
Hi, thanks for replying.

A furnace, to change the micro structure.

I have simplified it, into steps and hopefully you might be able to help

Consider two pieces of metal, one at 550C and one at 25C. When they come into contact how would I calculate the temperature of the cold body after 2 seconds?

Any help would be greatly appreciated,
Thanks, Lewis
 
If the shape of the die is not imparting any physical change to the aluminum I would suggest using an oil or water bath to alter the temperature.

BoB
 
rbelli1 said:
If the shape of the die is not imparting any physical change to the aluminum I would suggest using an oil or water bath to alter the temperature.

BoB
Ah okay thank you for your help!
 
How a particular plate cools and how heat is transferred to the die will be determined by several different factors including some completely random ones .

The reality is that every time you cool a plate by this method the results will be different .

Please tell us more about what you actually want to achieve in this part of your work .
 
Last edited:

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