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The purpose of the presented model is the numerical simulation of the electron beam welding of metal matrix composites regarding heat transfer, phase change, and fluid and particle flow in the weld pool. The governing equations for the 3D, transient, incompressible heat and fluid flow are therefore extended by a phase change model and a heat source. Furthermore, Lagrangian particle tracking is used for the dispersed particle phase. The implementation of this model into OpenFOAM ensures reusability and expandability for further applications and refinements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In dissimilar welded joints between steel and metal matrix composites (MMC), the particles in the MMC interfere with the energy source, that is, the electron beam (EB) in EB welding. This may impair the quality of the joint immensely due to pore formation. By shifting the EB toward the particle‐free steel, the quality is expected to improve, due to less particles in the keyhole of the weld pool. This beam offset is investigated by means of computational fluid dynamics simulations to track the particle movement in the weld pool and to identify trends for experimental investigations. A numerical model of EB welding coupled with Lagrangian particle tracking is implemented into OpenFOAM. It is capable to simulate the particle depletion from the MMC and the enrichment in the welding seam. While several issues are found for lower EB offsets, a 75% offset with regard to the half maximum weld width produces the best results as both overall particle depletion and the number of particles in the core zone of the weld pool are minimized. The proposed model is able to investigate further combinations of metals and/or MMCs as well as weld geometries in order to reduce the quantity of costly experimental investigations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]