Numerical simulation of arc and metal transfer behaviors in double-wire gas metal arc welding

The three-dimensional coupled arc-droplet models for traditional single-wire gas metal arc welding (SW-GMAW) and double-wire gas metal arc welding (DW-GMAW) were established. The mutual attraction of two arcs and the inclination of the droplets in DW-GMAW were analyzed numerically. The temperature, fluid flow velocity, and electromagnetic force distributions were compared between DW-GMAW and SW-GMAW. Compared with SW-GMAW, the temperature distribution on the workpiece surface was bimodal along x -axis and the peak temperature reduced in DW-GMAW. The high-temperature region in the filler metal was decreased dramatically. The fluid flow mode of the arc plasma in DW-GMAW was changed, and the peak velocity of the arc plasma decreased. Besides, the forces acted on the arc plasma were compared and the reason for the arc inclination was analyzed. Experimental data was used to validate the model’s predictions.