Flow analysis during laser-acoustic processing of stainless steel AISI 316L

The influence of ultrasonic vibrations on the flow of molten metal during laser processing is investigated. This problem is of interest within the context of modernization of existing technological processes, such as laser welding and cladding, for the production of structures with improved physical and mechanical properties. The introduction of additional ultrasonic energy into the liquid metal bath intensifies the metal flow via forced stirring, which provides its homogenization and leads to an increase in the mechanical properties of the processed material due to the growth of the number of crystallization centers during its solidification. In order to get a better understanding of this combined process and to control it, a method for synthesizing hydrodynamic and strength solvers used in the ANSYS software package is proposed. Setting up the coupling between two corresponding ANSYS Transient Structural and ANSYS CFX modules is executed through the additional ANSYS System Coupling module. Under this numerical implementation of the problem, it is possible to calculate the displacements at the solid metal boundary and their transfer to the liquid metal boundary and vice versa at each moment of time. The impact of laser radiation on the liquid metal is considered taking into account Marangoni convection, and convection and radiation heat transfer. The results of numerical experiments make it possible to conduct a qualitative and quantitative comparison between the liquid AISI 316L stainless steel flows formed without and with ultrasonic vibration. It is shown that the intensification and deceleration of the flows is observed at the average values of the ultrasonic amplitude. This fact correlates with the moments of time at which the deformed surface of the metal in the bath moves down and up. A comparative analysis of the maximum axial velocities inside the liquid metal bath was conducted. The absence of ultrasonic action on the liquid metal motion was observed at the maximum values of the vibration amplitude, which correspond to the maximum displacement and deformation of the surface at the interface between liquid and solid.