A simplified thermal approximation method to include the effects of Marangoni convection in the melt pools of processes that involve moving point heat sources

Processes that use moving point heat sources to temporarily create localized melt pools (metal additive manufacture and fusion welding) have a flow phenomenon due the surface tension gradient. Surface of liquid metal reduces with temperature this, coupled high gradients associated sources, creates Marangoni convection in melt. The tends reduce change pool geometry (increases width but depth). Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) models can simulate are computationally intensive. A simpler thermal model involving conduction latent heat, liquid’s conductivity artificially increased by constant factor, exhibits similar effects convection. less intensive than CFD, trial-and-error exercise needed obtain an appropriate multiplying factor is time consuming. With aim improve process selection, present study investigates correlation between gradient correction factors. For Ti-6Al-4V under typical manufacturing parameters, corresponding be applied was 1.76.