Numerical simulation of the arc pressure in gas tungsten arc welding

A two-dimensional axisymmetric numerical model has been developed to describe the heat transfer and fluid flow in the gas tungsten welding are. The electrode-tip geometry is considered in the model and the cathode and are column regions are included in the solution of the current continuity equation. The magneto-hydrodynamics equations are solved using the SIMPLE algorithm. The prediction of the are column temperatures is in fair agreement with experimental results; moreover, the computed results indicate that the distributions of are parameters such as current density, electromagnetic force and velocities, reflect well the generating mechanism of the are pressure. In addition, the effects of the current, the electrode-tip angle and the are length on the are pressure distribution are analyzed by the use of the are model that has been developed.