Finite Difference Analysis of a Resistive Sintering System Container

Abstract

Resistive sintering is a new method which enables the production of different material types by using mechanical load and electric current. For the required process performance, it is necessary to set the parameters such as current, voltage, dissipated power, electric energy, and production time correctly. The container is an important component of the resistive sintering system. Container electrical resistance is a value that is difficult to calculate in terms of the geometry of the build and to measure due to the smallness of the value. In this study, assuming that the container temperature is constant, the Laplace equation of the electric potential is solved in the cylindrical coordinates considering the axial symmetry by the finite difference method and then the electrical current and resistance of the sintering container was calculated by post-processing of the solved electric potential using Ohm's law in vector form. The volumetric power density is used to calculate the dissipated power in the container and the container current is calculated on the stiff area. It is seen that the current density is almost doubled at the stiff-container edges and the power density at these points reaches its maximum. At points distant from the stiffs, the electrical potential is almost constant and the potential difference is negligible. The main source of heating is shown to be the resistance of the stiffs. The resistance of the structure is found to be about 70 mu Omega. This method given here can be used in more sophisticated models to size an ECAS system.