Internship R&D - Heat Transfer and Cooling Optimization in Aluminium Casting

C-TEC INTERNSHIP OFFER 

Constellium is a world leader in the development and manufacture of high value-added aluminum products and solutions for a wide range of markets and applications, focusing in particular on aerospace, automotive and packaging. Constellium also has nearly 12,000 employees worldwide.We are committed to minimizing the environmental impact of our operations and improving the life cycle footprint of aluminum throughout the value chain.

In our company, safety is essential, it is one of our core values without compromise. Our Research and Technology Center, C-TEC Constellium Technology Center, based in Grenoble (Voreppe – 38) employs about 240 people. 

By joining our company, you will discover a multicultural company (over 20 nationalities) which is committed to diversity and the well-being of its employees.

Your mission : Experimental Investigation of Dissolved Gas Effects on Heat Transfer during Direct Chill Casting Cooling

Main objective and key accountabilities 

Water cooling efficiency during Direct Chill casting is strongly influenced by boiling phenomena and water chemistry. Recent work suggests that dissolved gases, and particularly dissolved CO₂, may significantly affect heat transfer mechanisms and cooling performance. The recent acquisition of a dedicated CO₂ probe at C-TEC provides a unique opportunity to experimentally investigate these effects.

The internship will primarily focus on experimental work carried out on C-TEC's quench pilot facility. This pilot consists of an instrumented section of a casting mould equipped with industrial water spray nozzles representative of DC casting conditions. A preheated instrumented target plate, representative of the ingot surface during casting, is cooled by the water jets. Measurements performed during cooling make it possible to identify local and average heat transfer coefficients under controlled operating conditions.

The objectives of the internship are :

• Understand the influence of dissolved gases and water chemistry on boiling regimes and heat transfer efficiency.
• Develop and conduct an experimental campaign using the quench pilot and the newly acquired CO₂ probe.
• Measure dissolved CO₂ concentration and characterize its evolution under various operating conditions.
• Determine heat transfer coefficients from the thermal response of the instrumented preheated plate.
• Establish correlations between cooling performance, dissolved gas content, water chemistry, water flow conditions, …
• Identify the governing parameters controlling heat exchange during jets cooling.
• Propose new heat transfer laws that can be implemented in casting and solidification models.

Context & environment

Aluminum alloys have always been essential, among other fields, to the aeronautic industry due to their low density and higwh mechanical properties and nowadays their use is experiencing significant growth in the automotive sector for the purpose of light weighting vehicles.

The intern will be based in the R&D casting team which work on the following topics: recycling, melting, metal quality, casting and solidification. The intern will be supervised by an R&D engineer. There will be interactions with experts in modeling, casting and water chemistry.

Expected results

• Experimental database relating dissolved CO₂ concentration and water chemistry to cooling performance.
• Improved understanding of the role of dissolved gases on boiling heat transfer.
• Identification of heat transfer coefficient laws applicable to DC casting conditions.
• Recommendations for integrating the new correlations into Constellium's thermal and thermomechanical modelling tools.
• Definition of future experimental work.

This internship decomposes into several stages :

• Literature review on jets cooling, boiling heat transfer and dissolved gas effects.
• Familiarization with the quench pilot facility and instrumentation.
• Development of measurement procedures using the new CO₂ probe.
• Definition of the experimental matrix.
• Execution of experimental trials.
• Analysis of thermal and water chemistry data.
• Identification by reverse modelling of heat transfer laws.

Profile 

Education level: Bac+5 / M.Sc. 
Mechanical Engineering - Physics or Material Science

Competencies & technical & soft skills requirement :

• Engineering student (last year) or Masters (M2) of Physics or Material Science
• Candidate motivated, creative, rigorous, curious, good communication skills and autonomous.
• Knowledge in Material science
• Good communication skills in English and French are essential