Metal in Midair: How Novosibirsk Scientists Are Modeling the Future of Metal Melting
Researchers at Novosibirsk State Technical University (NSTU NETI) have developed a mathematical model of levitation melting, a technology that uses electromagnetic fields to melt metal workpieces without letting them touch the walls of a furnace.
The main advantage of this approach is that it reduces contamination from crucible materials, limits metal loss and produces more uniform alloys. But controlling the process is a complex engineering challenge. The electromagnetic field affects the metal's temperature, movement and shape at the same time, and changing any one of these parameters can destabilize the entire system.
A Graduate Student–Faculty Collaboration
A graduate student in the Department of Automated Electrotechnological Systems at NSTU NETI, Maxim Andreyev, has developed a two-dimensional mathematical model using the ANSYS software suite under the supervision of senior lecturer Andrey Morev. The model calculates the distribution of electric current, Lorentz forces and temperature, as well as the movement of molten metal and the shape of its surface.
The researcher also proposed an algorithm for combining electromagnetic and thermal-fluid dynamics calculations into a single coupled magnetohydrodynamic problem. This approach makes it possible to study how several physical processes interact and to determine the parameters for future melting systems.
Toward Fully Automated Metallurgy
So far, the researchers have presented a computational method only. The original publication provides no quantitative data on reductions in energy consumption or improvements in product quality, although these could be potential benefits of future implementation. The new approach could help manufacturers reduce process waste, reduce equipment wear and produce more consistent products.
In the longer term, improvements in the quality of aluminum alloys, for example, could benefit the automotive, aerospace and electronics industries. For Russia's IT sector, the research is also relevant to the development of industrial software, mathematical modeling and automated metallurgical production.
Growing Interest in Digital Modeling of Metal Melting
NSTU's work is part of a broader effort by Russian researchers to use digital models to study metallurgical processes. Several universities have explored the subject in recent years. In April 2024, the journal Elektrichestvo published a study by Viktor Demidovich, Viktor Timofeyev and Mikhail Khatsayuk on modeling the melting and casting of light alloys in an electromagnetic field. In March 2025, Alexander Kulchitsky and Vladimir Payor of Saint Petersburg Mining University presented a numerical model for analyzing electromagnetic fields during levitation melting. In 2026, Vladimir Novikov, a graduate student in the Department of Automation of Production Processes in Metallurgy at the Institute of Non-Ferrous Metals of Siberian Federal University, published a study on improving the safety of semi-continuous aluminum ingot casting through the use of a digital model.
Limitations and Future Prospects
Experts note that moving from a research model to a commercially viable technology will require solving several challenges: increasing the volume of metal that can be stably suspended in midair; achieving highly precise control of the electromagnetic field; reducing the energy required to heat the metal and maintain levitation; validating numerical models at industrial scale; and comparing the technology's cost-effectiveness with that of existing melting methods.
Further advances in numerical modeling of metallurgical processes are likely in the coming years. For NSTU, the most likely next step is to adapt the method to other metals and increase the volume of the molten metal it can model. Another important milestone could be developing a three-dimensional model and testing it on operational experimental equipment.
From Computer Models to Industrial Technology
Russia's metallurgical industry is gradually expanding its use of digital technologies to model and control complex manufacturing processes. The NSTU NETI study demonstrates how mathematical methods can help tackle one of the toughest challenges in contactless melting: predicting how metal behaves under the simultaneous influence of electromagnetic forces and thermal processes.
The next step is to turn the computer modeling results into a technology that can deliver consistent metal quality, reduce production losses and make equipment operation economically viable. Demonstrating these benefits under real-world conditions will determine the significance of the research for Russian metallurgy and the production of high-quality alloys.
