TY - JOUR A1 - Meng, Xiangmeng A1 - Putra, Stephen Nugraha A1 - Bachmann, Marcel A1 - Rethmier, Michael T1 - Influence of the spatial laser energy absorption on the molten pool dynamics in high-power laser beam welding N2 - The spatial laser energy absorption inside the keyhole is decisive for the dynamic molten pool behaviors and the resultant weld properties in high-power laser beam welding (LBW). In this paper, a numerical simulation of the LBW process, considering the 3D transient heat transfer, fluid flow, and keyhole dynamics, is implemented, in which the free surface is tracked by the volume-of-fluid algorithm. The underlying laser-material interactions, i.e., the multiple reflections and Fresnel absorption, are considered by an advanced ray-tracing method based on a localized level-set strategy and a temperature-dependent absorption coefficient. The laser energy absorption is analyzed from a time-averaged point of view for a better statistical representation. It is found for the first time that a significant drop in the time-averaged laser energy absorption occurs at the focus position of the laser beam and that the rest of the keyhole region has relatively homogeneous absorbed energy. This unique absorption pattern may lead to a certain keyhole instability and have a strong correlation with the detrimental bulging and narrowing phenomena in the molten pool. The influence of different focus positions of the laser beam on the keyhole dynamics and molten pool profile is also analyzed. The obtained numerical results are compared with experimental measurements to ensure the validity of the proposed model. KW - Laser beam welding KW - Laser energy absorption KW - Molten pool KW - Keyhole dynamics KW - Numerical modeling PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-587531 DO - https://doi.org/10.2351/7.0001078 SN - 1042-346X VL - 35 IS - 4 SP - 1 EP - 8 PB - AIP Publishing AN - OPUS4-58753 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Meng, Xiangmeng A1 - Putra, Stephen Nugraha A1 - Bachmann, Marcel A1 - Rethmier, Michael T1 - Influence of the spatial laser energy absorption on the molten pool dynamics in high-power laser beam welding N2 - The spatial laser energy absorption inside the keyhole is decisive for the dynamic molten pool behaviors and the resultant weld properties in high-power laser beam welding (LBW). In this paper, a numerical simulation of the LBW process, considering the 3D transient heat transfer, fluid flow, and keyhole dynamics, is implemented, in which the free surface is tracked by the volume-of-fluid algorithm. The underlying laser-material interactions i.e., the multiple reflections and Fresnel absorption, are considered by an advanced ray-tracing method based on a localized Level-Set strategy and a temperature-dependent absorption coefficient. The laser energy absorption is analyzed from a time-averaged point of view for a better statistical representation. It is found for the first time that a noticeable drop of the time-averaged laser energy absorption occurs at the focus position of the laser beam, and the rest region of the keyhole has relatively homogenous absorbed energy. This unique absorption pattern may lead to a certain keyhole instability and have a strong correlation with the detrimental bulging and narrowing phenomena in the molten pool. The influence of the different focus positions of the laser beam on the keyhole dynamics and molten pool profile is also analyzed and compared. The obtained numerical results are compared with experimental measurements to assure the validity of the proposed model. T2 - International Congress of Applications of Lasers & Electro-Optics 2023 CY - Chicago, USA DA - 16.10.2023 KW - Laser beam welding KW - laser energy absorption KW - molten pool KW - keyhole dynamics KW - numerical modeling PY - 2023 SP - 1 EP - 8 AN - OPUS4-58754 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Meng, Xiangmeng A1 - Putra, Stephen Nugraha A1 - Bachmann, Marcel A1 - Rethmier, Michael T1 - The influence of the spatial laser energy absorption on the molten pool dynamics in high power laser beam welding N2 - The spatial laser energy absorption inside the keyhole is decisive for the dynamic molten pool behaviors and the resultant weld properties in high-power laser beam welding (LBW). In this paper, a numerical simulation of the LBW process, considering the 3D transient heat transfer, fluid flow, and keyhole dynamics, is implemented, in which the free surface is tracked by the volume-of-fluid algorithm. The underlying laser-material interactions i.e., the multiple reflections and Fresnel absorption, are considered by an advanced ray-tracing method based on a localized Level-Set strategy and a temperature-dependent absorption coefficient. The laser energy absorption is analyzed from a time-averaged point of view for a better statistical representation. It is found for the first time that a noticeable drop of the time-averaged laser energy absorption occurs at the focus position of the laser beam, and the rest region of the keyhole has relatively homogenous absorbed energy. This unique absorption pattern may lead to a certain keyhole instability and have a strong correlation with the detrimental bulging and narrowing phenomena in the molten pool. The influence of the different focus positions of the laser beam on the keyhole dynamics and molten pool profile is also analyzed and compared. The obtained numerical results are compared with experimental measurements to assure the validity of the proposed model. T2 - International Congress of Applications of Lasers & Electro-Optics 2023 CY - Chicago, Illinois, USA DA - 16.10.2023 KW - Laser beam welding KW - Laser energy absorption KW - Molten pool KW - Keyhole dynamics KW - Numerical modeling PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-58755 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Yang, Chunliang A1 - Yan, Fan A1 - Meng, Xiangmeng A1 - Putra, Stephen Nugraha A1 - Bachmann, Marcel A1 - Rethmeier, Michael T1 - Phase-field simulation of the dendrite growth in aluminum alloy AA5754 during alternating current electromagnetic stirring laser beam welding N2 - Electromagnetic stirring is known to promote material flow, reduce porosity, uniform elements distribution, and refine grain in laser beam welding (LBW), which enhances the applicability of LBW in various industries. In this study, a phase-field model of dendrite growth in AA5754 Al alloy electromagnetic stirring laser beam welding was established. The model considered the thermal electromagnetic Lorentz force resulting from the interaction between the electric field generated by the Seebeck effect and the magnetic field, as well as the temperature gradient and solidification rate of the solidification interface obtained from the computational fluid dynamics electromagnetic stirring LBW model. The variation rules of dendrite growth with different magnetic parameters and effects are analyzed. Comprehensively, the magnetic field promotes the solidification rate, thus promoting interfacial instability and a large magnetic flux density leads to a faster interface instability. The solidification rate as well as the temperature gradient affect the growth rate, and the accelerated growth caused by the so lidification rate with a high frequency and a large magnetic flux density effectively inhibits the slow growth caused by the temperature gradient. The thermal electromagnetic Lorentz force is the main factor for the branch increment at low frequencies, while both thermal electromagnetic Lorentz force and temperature gradient in crease the number of branches at high frequencies. The calculated average branch numbers considering various factors in the stable stage under different magnetic parameters were consistent with the results of the scanning electron microscope tests. KW - Laser beam welding KW - Electromagnetic KW - Aluminum alloys KW - Phase field method KW - Dendrite growth PY - 2024 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2023.124754 SN - 0017-9310 VL - 218 SP - 1 EP - 16 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-58489 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Yang, Fan A1 - Meng, Xiangmeng A1 - Putra, Stephen Nugraha A1 - Bachmann, Marcel A1 - Rethmeier, Michael T1 - Numerical studies of process porosity suppression by magnetohydrodynamic technology during the laser beam welding of aluminum alloy N2 - Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) technology is acknowledged as a promising method for mitigating the porosity defects in laser-welded joints of aluminum alloys. A transient 3D multi-physical numerical model of laser beam welding (LBW), coupled with the MHD and oscillating metal vapor plume model, is developed to study the suppression mechanisms of process porosity by an external magnetic field. The experimental results demonstrate that the porosity ratio is reduced by 93.5 % as the oscillating magnetic field is applied. This significant reduction confirms the effectiveness of the MHD technology in suppressing porosity defects. A downward time-averaged Lorentz force is induced in the weld pool, which affects the fluid flow pattern and the weld pool profile. The change of the flowing pattern in the weld pool by the magnetic field does not always have a positive effect on the porosity suppression. In addition, an analytical model shows that the bubble escape window is expanded by 62 % under the effect of the oscillating magnetic field. The additional upward velocity provided by the electromagnetic expulsive force on the bubbles and the change of weld pool profile are considered favorable factors in eliminating the porosity defects. The numerical and analytical model developed for analyzing the bubble escape window have been validated by experimental results. KW - Laser beam welding KW - Aluminum alloy KW - Process porosity defects KW - Magnetohydrodynamic technology KW - Bubble escape KW - Numerical simulation PY - 2025 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-637642 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2025.127525 SN - 0017-9310 VL - 253 SP - 1 EP - 13 PB - Elsevier Ltd. AN - OPUS4-63764 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Meng, Xiangmeng A1 - Putra, Stephen Nugraha A1 - Bachmann, Marcel A1 - Artinov, Antoni A1 - Rethmeier, Michael T1 - Influence of the free surface reconstruction on the spatial laser energy distribution in high power laser beam welding modeling N2 - An accurate and efficient description of the spatial distribution of laser energy is a crucial factor for the modeling of laser material processing, e.g., laser welding, laser cutting, or laser-based additive manufacturing. In this study, a 3D heat transfer and fluid flow model coupled with the volume-of-fluid algorithm for free surface tracking is developed for the simulation of molten pool dynamics in high-power laser beam welding. The underlying laser-material interactions, i.e., the multiple reflections and Fresnel absorption, are considered by a raytracing method. Two strategies of free surface reconstruction used in the ray-tracing method are investigated: a typical piecewise linear interface calculation (PLIC)-based method and a novel localized level-set method. The PLIC-based method is discrete, resulting in noncontinuous free surface reconstruction. In the localized level-set method, a continuous free surface is reconstructed, and, thus, the exact reflection points can be determined. The calculated spatial laser energy distribution and the corresponding molten pool dynamics from the two methods are analyzed and compared. The obtained numerical results are evaluated with experimental measurements to assure the validity of the proposed model. It is found that distinct patterns of the beam multiple reflections are obtained with the different free surface reconstructions, which shows significant influence not only on the molten pool behaviors but also on the localized keyhole dynamics. KW - Laser beam welding KW - Laser energy distribution KW - Weld pool dynamics KW - Ray teacing PY - 2022 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-562429 DO - https://doi.org/10.2351/7.0000739 SN - 1042-346X VL - 34 IS - 4 SP - 042023-1 EP - 042023-8 PB - Laser Institute of America CY - Orlando, Fla. AN - OPUS4-56242 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Yang, Fan A1 - Meng, Xiangmeng A1 - Putra, Stephen Nugraha A1 - Bachmann, Marcel A1 - Rethmeier, Michael T1 - Experimental and numerical investigations of suppression mechanisms by an oscillating magnetic field on process porosity during laser beam welding N2 - The magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) technology is recognized as a promising approach for improving the quality of deep penetration laser beam welding. This study employs experimental and numerical methods to investigate the effects of an auxiliary oscillating magnetic field on reducing porosity in the laser beam welding of 5754 aluminum alloy. The experimental results clearly demonstrate a significant reduction of 97% in the porosity ratio of the welded joints applied with an oscillating magnetic field compared to those without magnetic field, thereby validating the efficiency of applying MHD technology in mitigating porosity during the laser beam welding process. In addition, a transient 3D multi-physical model has been developed, integrating the MHD model and metal vapor plume, to gain a more comprehensive understanding of the porosity suppression mechanism. The weld pool shape is significantly widened and enlarged because of the Lorentz force, which facilitates the escape of gas bubbles. Meanwhile, the introduction of an oscillating magnetic field generates a time-averaged downward Lorentz force. This averaged downward Lorentz force, in turn, enhances and stables the downward fluid flow, which hinders the bubble backward movement. Meanwhile, this averaged downward Lorentz force induces an upward electromagnetic expulsive force on the bubble, which effectively increases the upward escape velocity of bubbles in the weld pool. The simulation results agree well with the experimental results. T2 - 44. Assistentenseminar Füge- und Schweißtechnik CY - Päwesin, Germany DA - 20.09.2023 KW - Laser beam welding KW - Numerical simulation KW - Magnetohydrodynamic technology KW - Porosity defect KW - Keyhole PY - 2024 UR - https://www.dvs-media.eu/de/neuerscheinungen/4671/44.-assistentenseminar-fuegetechnik SN - 978-3-96144-267-6 VL - 394 SP - 77 EP - 86 PB - DVS Media GmbH CY - Düsseldorf AN - OPUS4-60784 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Bachmann, Marcel A1 - Artinov, Antoni A1 - Meng, Xiangmeng A1 - Putra, Stephen Nugraha A1 - Rethmeier, Michael T1 - Challenges in dynamic heat source modeling in high-power laser beam welding N2 - The amount of absorbed energy in the keyhole as well as its spatial and temporal distribution is essential to model the laser beam welding process. The recoil pressure, which develops because of the evaporation process induced by the absorbed laser energy at the keyhole wall, is a key determining factor for the macroscopic flow of the molten metal in the weld pool during high-power laser beam welding. Consequently, a realistic implementation of the effect of laser radiation on the weld metal is crucial to obtain reliable and accurate simulation results. In this paper, we discuss manyfold different improvements on the laser-material interaction, namely, the ray tracing method, in the numerical simulation of the laser beam welding process. The first improvement relates to locating the exact reflection points in the ray tracing method using a so-called cosine condition in the determination algorithm for the intersection of reflected rays and the keyhole surface. A second correction refers to the numerical treatment of the Gaussian distribution of the laser beam, whose beam width is defined by a decay of the laser intensity by a factor of 1/e2, thus ignoring around 14% of the total laser beam energy. In the third step, the changes in the laser radiation distribution in the vertical direction were adapted by using different approximations for the converging and the diverging regions of the laser beam, thus mimicking the beam caustic. Finally, a virtual mesh refinement was adopted in the ray tracing routine. The obtained numerical results were validated with experimental measurements. KW - Laser beam welding KW - Laser energy distribution KW - Ray tracing KW - Numerical modeling PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-584748 DO - https://doi.org/10.2351/7.0001079 VL - 35 IS - 4 SP - 1 EP - 9 PB - Laser Institute of America AN - OPUS4-58474 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Yang, Chunliang A1 - Yang, Fan A1 - Meng, Xiangmeng A1 - Putra, Stephen Nugraha A1 - Bachmann, Marcel A1 - Rethmeier, Michael T1 - Experimental and numerical study on grain refinement in electromagnetic assisted laser beam welding of 5754 Al alloy N2 - Through experimental observation and auxiliary numerical simulation, this investigation studies the different types of grain refinement of 5754 aluminum alloy laser beam welding by applying a transverse oscillating magnetic field. Scanning electron microscope results have proved that the application of a magnetic field can reduce the average crystal branch width and increase its number. The interaction between the induced eddy current generated by the Seebeck effect and the applied external magnetic field produces a Lorentz force, which is important for the increase in the number of crystal branches. Based on the theory of dendrite fragmentation and the magnetic field-induced branches increment, the grain size reduction caused by the magnetic field is studied. Furthermore, the effects of the magnetic field are analyzed by combining a phase field method model and simulations of nucleation and grain growth. The grain distribution and average grain size after welding verify the reliability of the model. In addition, the introduction of a magnetic field can increase the number of periodic three-dimensional solidification patterns. In the intersection of two periods of solidification patterns, the metal can be re-melted and then re-solidified, which prevents the grains, that have been solidified and formed previously, from further growth and generates some small cellular grains in the new fusion line. The magnetic field increases the building frequency of these solidification structures and thus promotes this kind of grain refinement. KW - Laser beam welding KW - Magnetic field KW - Crystal branch development KW - Grain refinement KW - Periodic solidification pattern PY - 2023 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-584905 DO - https://doi.org/10.2351/7.0001085 SN - 1042-346X VL - 35 IS - 4 SP - 1 EP - 10 PB - AIP Publishing AN - OPUS4-58490 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Meng, Xiangmeng A1 - Putra, Stephen Nugraha A1 - Bachmann, Marcel A1 - Rethmeier, Michael T1 - Parametric study of the laser energy absorption in high-power laser beam welding N2 - Laser energy absorption on the keyhole wall is decisive for the thermodynamic behavior and the resultant weld properties in the high-power laser beam welding process. However, its highly transient nature on a microsecond scale makes the quantitative analysis challenging. In this paper, the influence of the relevant welding parameters on laser energy absorption is studied statistically by utilizing multiphysical modeling, in which the three-dimensional transient keyhole dynamics and thermo-fluid flow are calculated. A dynamic mesh adaption technique and a localized level-set-based ray-tracing method are employed to improve the model accuracy further. The results show that the focus position has a remarkable effect on the time-averaged laser absorption, and in contrast, the laser energy distribution regime is only slightly influenced by the welding speed in the studied parameter range (1.5–3.0 m/min). The absorption ratio of the laser energy on the keyhole front wall decreases with increasing welding speed and increases with upward-moving focus positions. The comparison between the calculated results and the experimental measurements ensures the validity of the proposed model. T2 - International Congress of Applications of Lasers & Electro-Optics 2024 CY - Los Angeles, CA, USA DA - 03.11.2024 KW - Laser beam welding KW - Laser energy absorption KW - Weld pool KW - Parametric study KW - Multiphysics modeling PY - 2024 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-616070 DO - https://doi.org/10.2351/7.0001537 SN - 1042-346X VL - 36 IS - 3 SP - 1 EP - 6 PB - AIP Publishing AN - OPUS4-61607 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -