Accuracy and Computational Efficiency of Phase-field Models

The computational efficiency and accuracy of the phase-field simulation of the dendritic solidification of Fe–0.5mass%C alloy are investigated for the original model, a model incorporating the reduced interface method and a model incorporating the antitrapping current method. By performing two-dimensional simulations, it was found that the model incorporating the antitrapping current method can accurately determine the growth velocity with a calculation time of about 20% of that of the other two models. Also the comparison of concentration profiles among the three models shows that the antitrapping current method provides the most effective way of suppressing the anomalous interface effect caused by the thin-interface limit condition. By performing three-dimensional simulations, it was also shown that the growth velocities calculated by the model incorporating the antitrapping current method are in good agreement with those predicted by the LKT model.