Theoretical investigations into heat transfer in laser-welded steel sheets

Abstract

This study contains mathematical modelling and numerical analysis of heat transfer in laser beam welding process. The temperature field was obtained on the basis of numerical solution into unsteady heat transfer equation with convective term and volumetric heat sources taken into account. Volumetric heat source model describing laser beam power distribution in combined truncated cone-cylinder volume was developed. Due to the wide range of temperatures appearing in the process latent heat of fusion, evaporation as well as latent heat of phase transformations in solid state were taken into account in the solution algorithm. On the basis of developed numerical algorithms an analysis of heat transfer in laser butt-welded steel sheets as a three-dimensional initial-boundary problem was performed. © 2012 The Author(s).