Numerical Analysis of Thermal Effect in Aluminum Alloy by Monopulse Laser

摘要

A spatial axisymmetric finite element model is established to investigate the distribution characteristics of temperature field that monopulse millisecond laser act on aluminum alloy. The thermal process of laser acting on aluminum alloy (melting, gasification and temperature drop) is simulated. Using the specific quivalent heat capacity method to simulate the solid-liquid, liquid-gas phase transition of aluminum alloy, and considering the differences of thermal physical parameters between different states (solid-liquid, liquid-gas) of aluminum alloy in the process of numerical simulation. The distribution of temperature field of aluminum alloy caused by the change of energy density, pulse width and spot radius of monopulse millisecond laser are investigated systematically by using numerical simulation model. The numerical results show that the temperature of target no longer rises after reaching the target gasification. Given the pulse width and spot radius, the temperature of target rise as the energy density increases, the laser intensity distribution is gaussian, so the temperature distribution of the target surface also shows Gaussian. The energy absorption mechanism of aluminum alloy is surface absorption mechanism, the temperature gradient in axial of the target is much lager than the temperature gradient in radial of the target surface, so the temperature rise in axial only exists a thin layer of target surface. Given the energy density and spot radius, as the pulse width increases, the power density of laser decreases, therefore the temperature of target center point decreases as the pulse width increases, and the temperature difference becomes small. As the pulse width decreases, the heat transfer in axial reduce, the deposition of energy enhances on the surface. Given the energy density and pulse width, the distribution of the temperature is enlarged as the spot radius increases, but the distribution of the temperature in axial is independent of the spot radius.