Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 4
Macroscale Modeling of the
Electroplastic Effect
For successful implementation of EAF in manufacturing industries, one area that
needs to be addressed is the predictability or material response at a bulk level. This
chapter introduces the modeling strategy for the electroplastic effect at the macro-
scale, which are used for compressive modeling (Chap.
5
) and tensile modeling (Chap.
thermo-mechanical approach based on energy and displacement continuity. Additional
law for heat generation, Fourier's law for conduction, and Newton's law of cooling.
When modeling the electroplastic effect, the division of the total electrical
energy input can be portioned into energy that directly aids in deformation (elec-
troplastic) and energy that contributes toward bulk heating. One way to capture
this energy distribution is by a ratio of the amount of electricity contributing
toward plastic deformation versus the total amount of electricity applied to the
process. This ratio can be defined as the electroplastic effect coefficient (EEC).
The EEC profile can be determined by utilizing either the mechanical power pro-
files or the thermal profiles of EAF and non-EAF tests. This chapter is divided into
four sections. First, an explanation of the mechanical-based approach for deter-
mining the EEC is described. The EEC is not a constant value, but it is a function
of the time during the forming process. Next, the thermal-based EEC determina-
tion strategy is explained. After, a comparison between the two methods is pro-
vided. Last, empirical modeling strategies for EAF are presented.
4.1 Mechanical-Based Approach to Determining the EEC
The EEC is a ratio that represents the difference between the power required for
a non-electrical baseline test and the power required for each EAF test using a
different current density. This fraction of power is assumed to be converted into
