Powder transport model for laser cladding by lateral powder feeding: I. Powder flow field with cylindrical distribution

Powder transport ratio is defined as the mass ratio of powder particles fed into the molten pool to all powders transported in the process of laser cladding by lateral powder feeding. According to the law of mass conservation and kinematic equation in physics, a powder transport model for flow field with cylindrical distribution and a mathematical expression of powder transport ratio are proposed. For different process parameters, the cross-sectional area of the clad layer is calculated by the model. Theoretical and experimental results are compared. The variation tendency of the theoretical cross-sectional area agrees well with the experimental results. The results indicate that the powder transport model can be used for fundamental research of real powder flow field.