Title:	CFD simulation of metal fusion in welding and additive manufacturing using laser beam and electric arc heat source
DNr:	NAISS 2026/3-347
Project Type:	NAISS Medium
Principal Investigator:	Isabelle Choquet <isabelle.choquet@hv.se>
Affiliation:	Högskolan Väst
Duration:	2026-04-28 – 2027-05-01
Classification:	20306
Homepage:	https://www.hv.se/personal/isabelle-choquet/
Keywords:

Abstract

This project application, devoted to the CFD simulation of metal fusion with laser beam and electric arc using OpenFOAM, continues the NAISS projects 2025/5-131 (Medium Compute) and 2025/6-391 (Medium Storage). These last ones resulted in one manuscript being prepared for submission to an international scientific journal. The proposed project resumes the generalization to non-refractory metal of our physics-based model for electric arc heat source and refractory metal. This model will be made of four key model elements: 1) thermodynamic and transport, 2) thermal plasma for the electric arc, 3) metal, and 4) sheath coupling metal and thermal plasma. To enable the sheath coupling to operate at a deforming liquid metal interface, the model is being developed in the novel unified Multiphysics framework for multi-region coupled continuum-physical problems (by Holger Marschall’s group). We have completed implementing and testing the elements 1), 2) and 3). The first objective of the proposed study is to implement in this framework and test the 4th element: the physics-based model coupling metal and thermal plasma. The planned simulation tests consist of a Gas Tungsten Arc discharge on water cooled substrate with available temperature measurements for model validation. The computations will be made using the newly developed model. Our older model will be used for comparative study. A manuscript for publication in international scientific journal will also be prepared. In addition, the proposed project aims to resume elucidating the causes of metal transfer instability in laser metal fusion when depositing metal alloys from a resistively heated wire (LDED-w). These causes are poorly known. The gained knowledge will support improving process control. To investigate the causes of instability, the CFD model for LDED-w will be applied to compute: 1) a reference case (with ‛complete´ physical model), 2) a case inhibiting ‛artificially´ the Rayleigh-Plateau instability and 3) a case inhibiting ‛artificially’ the thermocapillary instability. These cases will be run at three different values of electric resistivity and for two metal alloys (Ti-64 and Ni-718). The mesh study and the reference case were already performed in our earlier project with Ti-64. Furthermore, to prepare for future developments with the alloy Ni-718, our LDED-w model (now in OpenFOAM 3.0.1) needs to be implemented in OpenFOAM-24.12. Therefore, the proposed project aims to test this new implementation of the LDED-w model running also with OpenFOAM-24.12 the reference test cases for Ni-718. The proposed project thus involves a total of six cases with the alloy Ti-64, plus a mesh study and twelve cases with Ni-718. A conference paper and at least one journal manuscript will be prepared. Based on the former projects, it is evaluated that to conduct the proposed project, in total, a minimum computational time of 80 000 core hours per month and storage for at least 11 250 GiB and 10 million files for a duration of 1-year will be needed.