Influence of metal vapour on arc temperatures in gas–metal arc welding: convection versus radiation

Abstract

The presence of metal vapour in gas–metal arc welding has been shown to have two strong effects on the arc plasma: a decrease in temperature throughout the arc, and the formation of a local temperature minimum near the arc axis. These effects have been attributed, on the basis of different computational models, to either the increased radiative emission associated with the presence of metal vapour in the arc plasma, or the influence of the metal vapour influx on convective flow in the arc. This question is investigated using a three-dimensional computational model in which the production and the transport of metal vapour are taken into account self-consistently. Parameters relevant to welding of thin sheets of aluminum are examined. For these conditions, it is found that the first effect (the decrease in temperature throughout the arc) is due to both the increased radiative emission and the influence of the metal vapour influx on flow. The second effect (the local temperature minimum, which in this case occurs just below the wire electrode) is a consequence of the influence of aluminum vapour produced from the wire electrode on flow in the arc. By examining published results and the energy balance in the plasma, it is shown that for welding of steel with higher arc currents, the increased radiative emission can lead to a local temperature minimum at a greater distance from the wire electrode.