216 LETTER TO THE EDITOR

AUTHORS REPLY

I would like to thank Prof. V. Voller for his comments on my paper.’ The performance of his enthalpy scheme,’ in terms of accuracy as well as efficiency, is indeed commendable.

I would further like to take this opportunity to make certain clarifications. The enthalpy method available in TOPAZ3 was implemented by the author of the code, and not by me. It is possible that the implementation of Rolphe and Bathe’s enthalpy scheme4 in TOPAZ is not quite as efficient as, for example, in ADINAT,’ which more truly reflects the work by Prof. Bathe and his colleagues. Unfortunately, I did not get an opportunity to test ADINAT as well. My experience with the enthalpy scheme in TOPAZ3 should not be construed as a reflection on the quality of the original scheme by Rolphe and Bathe, or on the enthalpy schemes in general.

UMESH CHANDRA GE Aircraft Engines

1 Neumann Way MD H-85 Cincinnati, Ohio 45215, U.S.A.

REFERENCES

1. U. Chandra, ‘Benchmark problems and testing of a finite element code for solidification in investment castings’, Int. j .

2. V. R. Voller, ‘A fast implicit finite difference method for the analysis of phase change problems’, Numer. Heat Transfer,

3. A. B. Shapiro, ‘TOPAZ-A finite element heat conduction code for analyzing 2-D solids’, Lawrence Livermore

4. W. D. Rolphe 111 and K. J. Bathe, ‘An efficient algorithm for analysis of non-linear heat transfer with phase change’, Int.

5. ‘ADINA-T, A finite element program for automatic dynamic incremental nonlinear analysis of temperatures’, ADINA

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