A Primary Study of Variable Polarity Plasma Arc Welding Using a Pulsed Plasma Gas

A process variant of variable polarity plasma arc welding (VPPAW), that is, the pulsed plasma gas VPPAW process, was developed. The pulsed plasma gas was transmitted into the variable polarity plasma arc through a high-frequency solenoid valve to modify the output of the plasma arc. The collection o...

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Published inMaterials Vol. 12; no. 10; p. 1666
Main Authors Lu, Zhenyang, Zhang, Wang, Jiang, Fan, Chen, Shujun, Yan, Zhaoyang
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Switzerland MDPI AG 22.05.2019
MDPI
Subjects
Aluminum
Aluminum alloys
arc voltage
Data acquisition systems
Electric potential
Electrodes
Experiments
Gas flow
Ions
Orifices
Plasma
Plasma arc welding
Plasma jets
Process controls
Pulsed current
pulsed plasma gas
Solenoid valves
variable polarity plasma arc welding (VPPAW)
Voltage
weld formation
pulsed plasma gas
arc voltage
variable polarity plasma arc welding (VPPAW)
weld formation
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Summary:A process variant of variable polarity plasma arc welding (VPPAW), that is, the pulsed plasma gas VPPAW process, was developed. The pulsed plasma gas was transmitted into the variable polarity plasma arc through a high-frequency solenoid valve to modify the output of the plasma arc. The collection of arc electrical characteristics, arc shapes, and weld formation from VPPAW, double-pulsed VPPAW (DP-VPPAW), and pulsed plasma gas VPPAW (PPG-VPPAW) was carried out to examine if the pulsed plasma gas was able to play a positive role in improving the stability and quality of the VPPAW process. The arc voltage shows that the pulsed plasma gas had a greater influence on the electrode positive polarity voltage. The lower the plasma gas frequency was, the lower the arc voltage fluctuation frequency was and the greater the arc voltage fluctuation amplitude was. From the arc image, it could be observed that the arc core length had a short decrease during the general rising trend after plasma gas was turned on. The arc core width only had a slight change due to the restriction of the torch orifice. Compared with pulsed current wave, the pulsed plasma gas could better enhance the fluidity of the molten pool to reduce porosity during aluminum keyhole welding.
Bibliography:ObjectType-Article-1
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ISSN:1996-1944
1996-1944
DOI:10.3390/MA12101666