Araya, Juan G.

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    Transient, three-dimensional numerical model of laser cutting processes in ceramics with phase change consideration
    (2004) Araya, Juan G.; GutiƩrrez, Gustavo; College of Engineering; Venkataraman, Nellore; Coutin, Sandra; Department of Mechanical Engineering; Estevez, L. Antonio
    Physical problems involving moving heat sources can be encountered in many industrial applications during material processing, including cutting, drilling, welding, heat treatment, and surface alloying, to name a few. Among the fast growing techniques, it is worth mentioning the significant role that lasers have been recently playing. Evaporative cutting by means of a laser source is utilized in several manufacturing and material processing applications. Modeling an evaporative cutting process is computationally challenging since it requires solving the heat conduction equation together with a number of considerations: the necessary conditions to produce material vaporization, continuous variation of the heat source position, changes in thermophysical properties of material with temperature and physical shape of the domain. This research presents a numerical simulation of the temperature field and the removed material resulting from the impingement of a moving laser beam on a ceramic surface. A finite volume approach has been developed to predict the temperature field including phase changes generated during the process. The model considers heat losses by convection and radiation due to the high temperatures involved and uses a coordinate system affixed to the workpiece; therefore, contrary to most previous works, no quasisteady state conditions are assumed. Numerical predictions were compared with former three-dimensional numerical models considering a semi-infinite solid, with experimental data found in the literature and with analytical solutions for particular and simplified cases. This study gives insight into the interactions between the laser beam and a silicon nitride workpiece during the cutting process, being the most important feature the proper combination of power-velocity of the heat source to obtain the desired groove depth.