Medial Surface Transformations for Rapid Approximation of
Casting Solidification
by
Scott A. Houser
Jan Helge Bøhn, Chairman
Mechanical Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Abstract:
This thesis demonstrates the feasibility of using a medial surface
transformation as a tool to rapidly approximate the solidification patterns
of convex faceted solid models of castings. The medial surface transformation
is used to automate the greatest included sphere approach to solidification
pattern approximation. The experimental software of this thesis extracts the
medial surface transformation from a convex faceted model by computing the
model's Voronoi diagram and uses it to identify casting hot spots and cooling
patterns. Comparison with a finite difference method (FDM) solution showed
that the locations and shapes of hot spots predicted by FDM converge to the
shapes and locations predicted by the experimental software.