Numerical Simulation Study on Coupled Heat Transfer During the Heating Process of Hot Isostatic Pressing Equipment

Hot isostatic pressing (HIP) technology is currently the primary process for manufacturing high-performance advanced materials, powder metallurgy, and diffusion bonding. With the increasing demand for enhanced material performance and a wider range of materials, the HIP process now requires reaching temperatures of up to 2000 °C and pressures of 200 MPa, with a temperature range of less than ±5 °C. This presents significant challenges in equipment design. This article utilizes engineering data inversion methods to accurately determine material parameters under high temperatures and establishes a visual simulation model for the core area of HIP equipment. By comparing the calculated temperatures with actual equipment temperature uniformity during experimental processes, the study found that after 120 min of heating, the simulated temperature in the working area closely matched the actual engineering temperature of 2105.36 K, with an error of less than 5%. Under empty furnace conditions, the minimum temperature difference in the working area is 12 K, and effective temperature uniformity can be easily achieved through insulation. Simulation results indicated that the processed product may decrease temperature uniformity in the furnace, suggesting that adding bottom insulation could increase temperature uniformity in the effective heat zone by 25%. This research provides a theoretical foundation for HIP equipment design and process optimization through simulation, ultimately enhancing process quality in a cost-effective and cost-efficient manner.