Oscillatory nature in melt-gas-powder interactions during laser powder bed fusion process revealed by CFD-DEM coupled modelling

The laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) process encompasses interactions between different material states, including melt, gas, and powder. While observational techniques can capture specific states, they cannot be combined to produce a comprehensive monitoring how they are mutually interacted. Thus, an...

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Main Authors: Weihao Yuan, Hui Chen, Siyuan Ruan, Rocco Lupoi, Shaocong Qin, Enyu Guo, Jianfeng Wang, Shuo Yin
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2025-12-01
Series:Virtual and Physical Prototyping
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Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/17452759.2024.2446619
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author Weihao Yuan
Hui Chen
Siyuan Ruan
Rocco Lupoi
Shaocong Qin
Enyu Guo
Jianfeng Wang
Shuo Yin
author_facet Weihao Yuan
Hui Chen
Siyuan Ruan
Rocco Lupoi
Shaocong Qin
Enyu Guo
Jianfeng Wang
Shuo Yin
author_sort Weihao Yuan
collection DOAJ
description The laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) process encompasses interactions between different material states, including melt, gas, and powder. While observational techniques can capture specific states, they cannot be combined to produce a comprehensive monitoring how they are mutually interacted. Thus, an integrated modelling approach is a crucial solution for revealing their interactions. This study investigates melt-gas-powder dynamics under varying laser scan speeds through a coupled CFD-DEM multiphase model. Findings reveal that metal vapour consistently transitions from an initialisation phase to a processing phase, exhibiting consistent behaviour in the former but varied responses in the latter. A relationship is identified between scan speed and vapour flow angle (VFA), with higher speeds broadening the VFA. Significantly, three oscillatory behaviours are observed: first, the oscillation of locally intensified pressure (LIP) sites on keyhole walls, where vapour ejection modes shift and may become periodic at intermediate scan speeds; second, the oscillation of two induced argon vortex flows with opposite swirling directions; and third, a simultaneously induced varying drag force on powder spatter. These oscillations clarify various spatter mechanisms, offer insights for process optimisation, and suggest implications for process stability. The study also proposes future research directions to further elucidate these mechanisms.
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publishDate 2025-12-01
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spelling doaj-art-f7f854763f0d4d678bdd943bc9a0a54d2025-01-15T18:45:55ZengTaylor & Francis GroupVirtual and Physical Prototyping1745-27591745-27672025-12-0120110.1080/17452759.2024.2446619Oscillatory nature in melt-gas-powder interactions during laser powder bed fusion process revealed by CFD-DEM coupled modellingWeihao Yuan0Hui Chen1Siyuan Ruan2Rocco Lupoi3Shaocong Qin4Enyu Guo5Jianfeng Wang6Shuo Yin7Department of Mechanical, Manufacturing and Biomedical Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin 2, IrelandState Key Laboratory of Solidification Processing, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an, People’s Republic of ChinaDepartment of Mechanical, Manufacturing and Biomedical Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin 2, IrelandDepartment of Mechanical, Manufacturing and Biomedical Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin 2, IrelandDepartment of Mechanical, Manufacturing and Biomedical Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin 2, IrelandKey Laboratory of Solidification Control and Digital Preparation Technology, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, People’s Republic of ChinaDepartment of Mechanical, Manufacturing and Biomedical Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin 2, IrelandDepartment of Mechanical, Manufacturing and Biomedical Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, The University of Dublin, Dublin 2, IrelandThe laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) process encompasses interactions between different material states, including melt, gas, and powder. While observational techniques can capture specific states, they cannot be combined to produce a comprehensive monitoring how they are mutually interacted. Thus, an integrated modelling approach is a crucial solution for revealing their interactions. This study investigates melt-gas-powder dynamics under varying laser scan speeds through a coupled CFD-DEM multiphase model. Findings reveal that metal vapour consistently transitions from an initialisation phase to a processing phase, exhibiting consistent behaviour in the former but varied responses in the latter. A relationship is identified between scan speed and vapour flow angle (VFA), with higher speeds broadening the VFA. Significantly, three oscillatory behaviours are observed: first, the oscillation of locally intensified pressure (LIP) sites on keyhole walls, where vapour ejection modes shift and may become periodic at intermediate scan speeds; second, the oscillation of two induced argon vortex flows with opposite swirling directions; and third, a simultaneously induced varying drag force on powder spatter. These oscillations clarify various spatter mechanisms, offer insights for process optimisation, and suggest implications for process stability. The study also proposes future research directions to further elucidate these mechanisms.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/17452759.2024.2446619Coupled CFD-DEM modelvapour phaselocally intensified pressurevortex flowdrage force
spellingShingle Weihao Yuan
Hui Chen
Siyuan Ruan
Rocco Lupoi
Shaocong Qin
Enyu Guo
Jianfeng Wang
Shuo Yin
Oscillatory nature in melt-gas-powder interactions during laser powder bed fusion process revealed by CFD-DEM coupled modelling
Virtual and Physical Prototyping
Coupled CFD-DEM model
vapour phase
locally intensified pressure
vortex flow
drage force
title Oscillatory nature in melt-gas-powder interactions during laser powder bed fusion process revealed by CFD-DEM coupled modelling
title_full Oscillatory nature in melt-gas-powder interactions during laser powder bed fusion process revealed by CFD-DEM coupled modelling
title_fullStr Oscillatory nature in melt-gas-powder interactions during laser powder bed fusion process revealed by CFD-DEM coupled modelling
title_full_unstemmed Oscillatory nature in melt-gas-powder interactions during laser powder bed fusion process revealed by CFD-DEM coupled modelling
title_short Oscillatory nature in melt-gas-powder interactions during laser powder bed fusion process revealed by CFD-DEM coupled modelling
title_sort oscillatory nature in melt gas powder interactions during laser powder bed fusion process revealed by cfd dem coupled modelling
topic Coupled CFD-DEM model
vapour phase
locally intensified pressure
vortex flow
drage force
url https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/17452759.2024.2446619
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