Three-Dimensional Finite Element Method Simulation of Bridgman Crystal Growth and Comparision with Experiments

The crystal growth of succinonitrile (SCN) in a horizontal Bridgman apparatus is studied through a three-dimensional numerical simulation. The governing equations considered include the steady state Navier-Stokes and the thermal energy equations. The temperature boundary conditions imposed at the outer surface of the glass ampoule are taken from experimental measurements. To model the phase change in SCN, we use the effective specific heat formulation of the enthalpy method and treat the SCN as a generalized Newtonian fluid. We solve the numerical model using the segregated solution approach provided by a commercial finite element code, FIDAP. The numerical results are compared with data from experiments, and very good agreement has been achieved. The advantages of applying the segregated solution approach in large-scale three-dimensional (3-D) computations are shown through detailed comparisons of efficiency and memory requirements between the segregated and the conventional fully coupled solution approaches. The significant savings of memory requirements by the segregated approach make it possible to solve large-scale 3-D problems on work stations.