A simple and efficient model for mesoscale solidification simulation of globular grain structures

TL;DR

This paper introduces a computationally efficient model for simulating mesoscale globular grain solidification in metallic alloys, closely matching refined methods but at a fraction of the computational cost.

Contribution

It presents a simple, curvature-aware Voronoi-based model that significantly reduces computation time while maintaining accuracy for mesoscale grain structure simulations.

Findings

Model predictions closely match phase field method results

Computational cost is reduced by several orders of magnitude

Suitable for linking grain behavior to macroscopic properties

Abstract

A simple model for the solidification of globular grains in metallic alloys is presented. Based on the Voronoi diagram of the nuclei centers, it accounts for the curvature of the grains near triple junctions. The predictions of this model are close to those of more refined approaches such as the phase field method, but with a computation cost decreased by several orders of magnitude. Therefore, this model is ideally suited for granular simulations linking the behavior of individual grains to macroscopic properties of the material.