FEM simulation of quenching process and experimental verification of simulation results

This Quenching process is a high non-linear process showing the effect on temperature, phase-transformation and stress/strain as they relate to each other. In order to carry out this coupling simulation between temperature, stress and phase-transformation, a method of solving the coupling relationship is presented in this paper, and an FEM software for quenching is developed. Three different cases are simulated using this software by establishing suitable FEM models. Analytical values of 2-D transient heat transfer problems without latent heat are attained by a separation variable method and Newman multiplication theorem, which are compared with FEM simulation results of temperature. Experimental results of P20 end-quenching are obtained by metallographic techniques and Rockwell hardness testing, and the results are compared with FEM simulation results of phase-transformation volumes and hardness distribution. Experimental results of stress are attained by X-ray diffraction techniques, and the results are compared with FEM simulation values of stress. The comparisons show that the simulation results of FEM software are consistent with experimental results or analytical values.