Three-dimensional modeling of the plasma arc and metal transfer in arc welding

Most previous three-dimensional modeling work on arc welding focused on the weld pool dynamics. Almost all these weld pool models were based on the two-dimensional axisymmetric Gaussian assumptions of arc pressure, plasma heat flux, and/or current density. They may not represent the real situation when the metal droplet presents...This dissertation presented a newly developed three-dimensional model for the plasma arc. It is more computationally efficient as compared with an existing model. The mathematic formulation includes both Navier-Stokes equations and Maxwell\u27s equations. Through solving these governing equations, it is possible to predict the velocity, pressure, temperature, electric potential, current density, and magnetic field of the plasma arc --Abstract, page iv