A new welding process simulation using a hybrid particle and grid method with explicit MPS

During welding, the weld pool has a fluid flow with thermal conduction and a free surface. The dropped metal also supplies a free surface. These complex phenomena are difficult to simulate using the grid method. On the other hand, particle methods, such as the smoothed-particle hydrodynamics (SPH) method or the moving particle semi-implicit (MPS) method, can evaluate the fluid flow and the thermal conduction with a free surface more easily than grid methods. In the present study, for high-speed and effective simulation of the welding process, including the weld pool, a hybrid particle and grid method with explicit MPS is performed. In this hybrid method, particles can be used in the weld pool and the area located near the weld pool, whereas grid elements are used in the other areas. Furthermore, in order to consider interface effects, a light source model for the welding process simulation is developed. As a result, numerical simulation of the heat conduction in the weld joint, including the fluid flow in the weld pool with a free surface, is performed.