Numerical simulation of coupling behavior in coaxial hybrid arc welding apparatus

Double-layer coaxial hybrid arcing technology has been developed based on an inner constraint arc and an outer ring arc; the heat and pressure properties of the arc source are supposed to be decoupled and leading to improved controllability of the weld pool thermal-force state. But, the coupling state between the two arcs is not uncovered, and the process window for stable hybrid arc is narrow. In this study, a numerical model of the coaxial hybrid arc system is established, the influence of the water-cooled nozzle on the arc is considered, and the model's accuracy is verified by the measured arc pressure. The physical fields, such as temperature, velocity, and current density distribution, of the hybrid arc are calculated, and the influence of the inner constraint arc current or outer ring arc current on arc pressure and the coupling state in the hybrid arc are uncovered. It was found that (1) at the center of the stable hybrid arc, the current density, magnetic flux intensity, Lorentz force, and arc pressure with a rise in constraint arc current are higher than with a rise in outer arc current; (2) given the total current, adjust the proportion of the inner or outer arc currents, the total heat input basically remains unchanged; and (3) the cause of the arc collapse phenomenon, which is challenging to explain experimentally: the non-ionized gas layer in the orifice throat is broken through.