Numerical analysis of hybrid plasma generated by Nd:YAG laser and gas tungsten arc

When the output from a high power Nd:YAG laser irradiates a metallic surface, metal vapor is generated and changes into the plasma state, which is called a laser-induced plasma plume. If the high power laser is combined with an arc plasma, they mutually attract and influence each other. In this study, several analytic steps are introduced to analyze the laser-arc hybrid welding plasma. A conduction equation is first solved to obtain the temperature distribution on the metallic surface. Next, an analysis of the metal vapor is conducted to investigate the Ar–Fe mixture using a numerical method. As a result of the analysis, it is revealed that the plasma is concentrated in the vicinity of the laser-irradiation position and that the local temperature of the plasma is increased. Plasma flow and current density profiles are also affected by the laser irradiation.