Simulating fast electron beam melting with a parallel thermal free surface lattice Boltzmann method

This paper introduces a three dimensional (3D) thermal lattice Boltzmann method for the simulation of electron beam melting processes. The multi-distribution approach incorporates a state-of-the-art volume of fluid free surface method to handle the complex interaction between gas, liquid, and solid phases. The paper provides a detailed explanation of the modeling of the electron beam gun properties, such as the absorption rate and the energy dissipation. Additionally, an algorithm for the construction of a realistic powder bed is discussed. Special emphasis is placed to a parallel, optimized implementation due to the high computational costs of 3D simulations. Finally, a thorough validation of the heat equation and the solid-liquid phase transition demonstrates the capability of the approach to considerably improve the electron beam melting process.