Modelling of Electric Arc Welding: arc-electrode coupling

Arc welding still requires deeper process understanding and more accurate prediction of the heat transferred to the base metal. This can be provided by CFD modelling. Most works done to model arc discharge using CFD consider the arc core alone. Arc core simulation requires applying extrapolated experimental data as boundary conditions on the electrodes. This limits the applicability. To become independent of experimental input the electrodes need to be included in the arc model. The most critical part is then the interface layer between the electrodes and the arc core. This interface is complex and non-uniform, with specific phys-ical phenomena. The present work reviews the concepts of plasma and arc discharges that are useful for this problem. The main sub-regions of the model are described, and their dominant physical roles are discussed. The coupled arc-electrode model is developed in different steps. First cou