Analysis of energy flow in gas metal arc welding processes through self-consistent three-dimensional process simulation

A self-consistent three-dimensional gas metal arc welding (GMAW) modeling tool is used to analyze energy flow in an aluminum GMAW process. The mathematical model employed in the tool considers energy, momentum and mass transfer between three interacting domains: the filler wire (anode), the arc plasma, and the workpiece (cathode), which includes the molten pool. The mass, momentum and heat transfer associated with the droplets are also considered. The tool is used to model a bead-on-Al-plate problem and validated by comparing predicted and measured weld profiles. The energy input, transformation, transfer, dissipation due to different physical processes are calculated and analyzed to understand the energy structure and flow in the system for a range of welding currents. The energy efficiency, which is the ratio of the energy consumed in melting the metal to the total energy input into the system, is calculated to study the effect of current input on the system efficiency. The findings from the study provide guidance to engineers in designing GMAW schedules to achieve quality welds with good energy efficiency.