MODELLING OF ELECTRODE-ARC COUPLING IN ELECTRIC ARC WELDING

Modelling of the arc in electric arc welding is significant to achieve a better pro-cess understanding, thus gain better weld quality and a more efficient production process.It requires knowing the conditions at the surfaces of the anode and cathode. These condi-tions are very difficult to set from measurements and should be calculated. This requiresmodelling the complex physics of the electrode layer coupling electrode and arc. Thispaper presents a self-consistent electrode layer model that 1) is suited to welding applica-tions, 2) accounts for the known physics taking place, and 3) satisfies the basic conservationrequirements. The model is tested for different conditions. Its potentiality for welding ap-plications is shown through calculations coupling plasma arc, electrode and cathode layermodels. The calculations are done for both tungsten and thoriated tungsten electrode