Numerical simulation of droplet detachment in pulsed gas-metal arc welding including the influence of metal vapour

A numerical model of the droplet detachment of a gas-metal arc welding process is presented. The model is based on the volume of fluid method and focuses on the detailed description of the interaction between the arc and the anodic wire electrode. The influence of metal vapour on the arc plasma and the arc attachment at the wire is taken into account. The formation of metal vapour at the wire is described self-consistently as a function of the wire temperature by the help of the Hertz-Knudsen-Langmuir equation. Results are presented for a pulsed gas-metal arc welding process with a wire of mild steel and argon as the shielding gas.