Research PaperTemperature predictive model of the large pulsed electron beam (LPEB) irradiation on engineering alloys

- The numerical model of large pulsed electron beam irradiation process was developed.
- A mechanism of energy transfer during the irradiation was specified.
- An absorptivity of large pulsed electron beam was numerically investigated.
- Experimental validations of the predictive temperature model were performed.
- The numerical model of molten depths was well matched with the experiments.

The pulsed electron beam irradiation process is a relatively advanced technique for surface modification, including surface hardening, corrosion protection, and wear inhibition. Due to increasing demand for surface modification processes on solid metals, many experimental studies have focused on electron beam irradiation processes. In this study, a three-dimensional numerical model of the large electron beam irradiation with a Gaussian-distributed heat source was developed. To reflect the natural interactions between accelerated electrons and solid substrates, the absorptance of the electron beam was evaluated with considering electron scattering, backscattering, and transmission. Predictions of temperature distributions were validated by measuring molten depths of engineering alloys after the electron beam irradiation. The effects of absorptance on the prediction accuracy of the molten depth were also explored, and the computational results were compared based on constant and calculated absorptance versus depth. The consideration of energy absorbing mechanisms resulted in more accurate predictions of molten depths, as demonstrated by the strong agreement with experimental results.