Project Info

*State-of-the-Art Multiphysics Simulations to Better Understand Additive Manufacturing

Michael Kaufman
mkaufman@mines.edu
Physical processes such as solidification in additive manufacturing (AM) occur too quickly and are too localized to directly measure cooling rates or temperature gradients. However, cooling rates and temperature gradients significantly affect how materials evolve in AM. Accordingly, sophisticated modeling and simulations must be used to estimate heat transfer conditions during the process. In this project, a student will be given the opportunity to learn a state-of-the-art multiphysics software to simulate laser-based AM and help graduate students better understand their experimental results.

More Information:

Grand Challenge: Not applicable
Experiments similar to the ones shown the following publication were performed: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-03761-2 See this site for the capabilities of the multi-physics software: https://www.flow3d.com/products/flow3d-am/ The student will perform simulations of the experiments to calculate temperature gradients and cooling rates to develop a better understanding of how solidification occurred.

Primary Contacts:

Prof. Jonah Klemm-Toole, Prof. Amy Clarke, Prof. Kester Clarke

Student Preparation

Qualifications

The student should have an interest in solidification or additive manufacturing and be willing to learn a new software. Experience with finite element simulations or computation fluid dynamics would also be helpful, but not required.

TIME COMMITMENT (HRS/WK)

4-5

SKILLS/TECHNIQUES GAINED

The student will gain several skills that will be very beneficial for graduate school or a career in industry. Experience with this multi-physics software can be directly beneficial for graduate school or career focused on additive manufacturing or laser welding. The student will gain the experience of working with a diverse group of graduate students, and will learn how to calibrate simulations with data from experiments. The student will also learn about the advanced characterization techniques that graduate students used to evaluate their AM experiments.

MENTORING PLAN

The student will regularly meet with graduate students in the project. Additionally, the student will participate in weekly meetings with graduate students and professors. Realistic goals will be set at the beginning of the project, and they will be continuously updated as needed. The frequent interaction with professors and graduate students will ensure all resources are being provided to ensure the student gets the most out of the project.

PREFERRED STUDENT STATUS

Sophomore
Junior
Senior
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