Probe Design to Characterize Heat Transfer during Quenching Process

Four water quenching conditions were tested using an effectively designed thermal probe
focusing on component surface temperatures. This paper describes the quenching conditions,
probe design, method and equipment used to measure temperature. The quenching conditions
characterized include two levels of directed water flow, i.e. 4.2 m/s and 6.6 m/s, and immersion
in a more conventionally agitated water tank and a tank of still water. A 304 stainless steel probe
was fabricated to measure surface temperature changes at several locations along the probe
surface during the quenching processes. Surface heat transfer coefficients were determined from
the measured time – temperature data using an optimization method based on sensitivity
analysis. The detailed descriptions of the fitting method will be given in a subsequently planned
paper.