Heat Transfer Analysis in the Vacuum Carburizing Furnace

The main objective of the present study is to analyze the heat transfer characteristics in the vacuum carburizing furnace. Local temperatures are measured at different locations in the self-fabricated furnace for various operating conditions using K-type thermocouples. In addition, the present study simulates the fluid flows and heat transfer in the vacuum carburizing furnace using a commercial package (Fluent V. 6.0), and compares the predictions of local temperatures with experimental data. The temperature and flow fields are predicted. It is found that the time taken for reaching the steady-state temperature under the vacuum pressure is shorter than that under the normal pressure condition. It means that the carburizing furnace under vacuum pressure condition is capable of saving the required energy more efficiently than the furnace under the normal pressure condition. Furthermore, the temperature variations predicted by the numerical simulations are in good agreement with experimental data.

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