Spray deposition is a novel manufacturing process which is currently being developed for producing near-net-shape preforms. Spray deposition involves the creation of a spray of droplets by a gas atomizer and the consolidification of these droplets on a substrate to create a preform. In order to maximize the metallugical benefits of spray deposition, a thorough characterization of momentum and heat transfer in the gas-atomized spray is required. An integral model for the spray deposition process has been developed using established theoretical principles. Mathematical models describe the interconnected processes of droplet-gas interactions in flight and subsequent droplet consolidation on the substrate. The models predict droplet velocity and temperature as a function of flight distance, the extension of droplet solidification on arrival at the substrate and temperature distribution in the consolidated material during deposition. The approach demonstrates the utility of modeling studies in order to establish quantitative guidelines for optimization of the process in terms of the evolution of microstructure in droplet consolidation.
