Microstructure calculating apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11573552-B2
Application number	US-201816617791-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 23, 2018
Priority date	May 30, 2017
Publication date	Feb 7, 2023
Grant date	Feb 7, 2023

Abstract

An object is to predict a microstructure of Al in an industrial process more accurately than conventional techniques. In an information processor (1), an inter-step information integration section supplies a PC(i) and an MS(i, 0) to each i-th step calculating section included in a step calculating section. Each i-th step calculating section supplies an MS(i, t) and a TMP(i, t) to a microstructure calculating section and thereby causes the microstructure calculating section to find an MS(i, tfi), and supplies the MS(i, tfi) to the inter-step information integration section (11). The inter-step information integration section (11) sets, as an MS(i+1, 0), the MS(i, tfi) received from the i-th step calculating section.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A microstructure calculating apparatus to predict microstructure of aluminum, wherein, with regard to an industrial process for manufacturing aluminum, the industrial process including first to N-th steps,
i is a natural number satisfying 1≤i≤N,
t represents a time in an i-th step, t=0 represents a time at which the i-th step starts, and t=tfi represents a time at which the i-th step ends,
PC(i) represents a piece of information indicative of a processing condition for the aluminum in an i-th step,
TMP(i, t) represents a piece of information indicative of a thermo-mechanical processing condition for the aluminum at a time tin an i-th step, and
MS(i, t) represents a piece of information indicative of a microstructure of the aluminum at a time tin an i-th step,
the microstructure calculating apparatus comprising:
an inter-step information integration section configured to acquire PC( 1 ) to PC(N) and MS( 1 , 0 ) as pieces of preset information;
a step calculating section including first to N-th step calculating sections; and
a microstructure calculating section configured to find a change over time in MS(i, t) based on an MS(i, t) and a TMP(i, t),
the microstructure calculating section including a plurality of calculation modules configured to find changes over time in a respective plurality of metallurgical phenomena,
an i-th step calculating section of the step calculating section being configured to find a TMP(i, t) based on a PC(i),
the plurality of calculation modules being configured to receive respective MSs(i, t) having a common data structure,
wherein, in the order of from i=1 to i=N,
the inter-step information integration section supplies a PC(i) and an MS(i, 0 ) to each i-th step calculating section, and
in each i-th step, in the order of from t=0 to t=tfi,
the i-th step calculating section (i) supplies an MS(i, t) and a TMP(i, t) to the microstructure calculating section and thereby causes the microstructure calculating section to find an MS(i, tfi) and (ii) supplies the MS(i, tfi) to the inter-step information integration section, and

the inter-step information integration section sets, as an MS(i+1, 0), the MS(i, tfi) received from the i-th step calculating section;

wherein the microstructure calculating apparatus determines a policy for MS control including the PC(i) for a machine for performing the industrial process for manufacturing aluminum having a desired microstructure.

2. The microstructure calculating apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the i-th step calculating section is configured to find a TMP(i, t) based on a PC(i), the TMP(i, t) being a piece of information indicative of a temperature applied to the aluminum at a time tin an i-th step, an amount of strain applied to the aluminum at the time tin the i-th step, and a rate of strain applied to the aluminum at the time tin the i-th step.

3. The microstructure calculating apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the microstructure calculating section is configured to find, based on an MS(i, t) and a TMP(i, t), changes over time in a plurality of interactive metallurgical phenomena to thereby obtain an MS(i, t+Δt), where Δt is an infinitesimal time period.

4. The microstructure calculating apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein an MS(i, t) contains pieces of information indicative of an amount of one or more alloying elements at a time tin an i-th step, an amount of one or more solute alloying elements at the time tin the i-th step, a particle size distribution of second phase particles at the time tin the i-th step, recrystallization ratio at the time tin the i-th step, and strain energy at the time tin the i-th step.

5. The microstructure calculating apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein:
the microstructure calculating section has a calculation model pre-set therein, the calculation model being configured to find a change over time in microstructure; and
the inter-step information integration section is configured to adjust one or more parameters contained in the calculation model so as to reduce an error between (a) pre-acquired data obtained by measuring the microstructure and (b) calculated data.

6. The microstructure calculating apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein an MS(i, t) of the aluminum in a recrystallized state and an MS(i, t) of the aluminum in a non-crystallized state are dealt with as different pieces of information.

7. The microstructure calculating apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of calculation modules of the microstructure calculating section at least include a recovery module configured to find a change over time in recovery of the aluminum.

8. The microstructure calculating apparatus as set forth in claim 1 , wherein:
TMPs(i, t) for a respective plurality of partial areas obtained by spatially dividing the aluminum are dealt with as different pieces of information; and
MSs(i, t) for the respective plurality of partial areas are dealt with as different pieces of information.

Assignees

• Uacj Corp

Inventors

• Iwamura Shingo

Classifications

• B21C51/00 Primary

  Measuring, gauging, indicating, counting, or marking devices specially adapted for use in the production or manipulation of material in accordance with subclasses B21B - B21F · CPC title

• B21B2201/06

  Thermomechanical rolling · CPC title

• G06F30/20

  Design optimisation, verification or simulation (optimisation, verification or simulation of circuit designs G06F30/30) · CPC title

• C22F1/04

  of aluminium or alloys based thereon · CPC title

• B21B2003/001

  Aluminium or its alloys · CPC title