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

Materials ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 1666 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhenyang Lu ◽  
Wang Zhang ◽  
Fan Jiang ◽  
Shujun Chen ◽  
Zhaoyang Yan

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.

2013 ◽  
Vol 651 ◽  
pp. 355-360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yi Jiang ◽  
Ming Liu ◽  
Yao Hui Lu ◽  
Bin Shi Xu

Variable polarity plasma arc welding has been widely used to manufacture industries. The effects of welding current and plasma gas flow as the most important parameters on variable polarity plasma arc pressure were discussed experimentally. To welding current, two experimental were designed to discuss the effects of straight polarity current and reversed polarity current on arc pressure respectively. It could be concluded that arc pressure is quadratic with welding current. To plasma gas flow, both experimental and numerical analysis are used to discuss the mechanisms of plasma gas flow to arc pressure, and it could be conclude that arc pressure is quadratic with plasma gas flow rather than linear.


1994 ◽  
Vol 116 (4) ◽  
pp. 463-466 ◽  
Author(s):  
Q. Pang ◽  
T. Pang ◽  
J. C. McClure ◽  
A. C. Nunes

Variable Polarity Plasma Arc welding has proved to be extremely successful in welding aluminum alloys despite their adherent refractory oxide. This success has been attributed to removal of the oxide during the reverse polarity cycle. In situ optical spectroscopy is used to measure the amount of hydrogen and oxygen in the plasma arc with a minimum detectable limit of less than 100 ppm. It was found that the amount of contamination is independent of surface preparation and torch speed. Using this information, it is proposed that the predominant mechanism for reverse polarity cleaning in aluminum is dielectric breakdown of the surface oxide ahead of the torch rather than by ion sputtering.


1993 ◽  
Vol 115 (3) ◽  
pp. 263-267
Author(s):  
L. F. Martinez ◽  
J. C. McClure ◽  
A. C. Nunes

Adequate shield and plasma gas flow rate during plasma arc welding are crucial factors in achieving high quality welds. Too low a shield gas flow rate lets atmosphere enter into the arc and too high a rate wastes weld gas and may cause turbulence and entrain atmosphere. Sufficient plasma gas flow is required for keyhole welding and, as shown in this paper, can reduce hydrogen contamination in the weld. In-situ optical spectroscopy used to detect oxygen and hydrogen in the welding arc during variable polarity plasma arc (VPPA) welding of aluminum 2090 revealed that there is an easily detected critical shield gas flow rate needed to exclude atmosphere and that this critical rate can be used to automatically control gas flow rates during welding.


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