Study of CO₂ welding arc with and without external magnetic field

In CO₂ gas shielded welding, the welding process consists of two stages: arc ignition and droplet transfer. The application of magnetic fields can result in changes in the physical behavior of the arc plasma, affecting the stability of the droplet transfer and ultimately the weld shape. Thus, the study of the physical behavior of CO₂ gas shielded welding arc and the role of magnetic field on it is of great significance for the systematic understanding of the magnetron welding mechanism and the promotion of the research and development of controlled droplet transfer in CO₂ welding. This paper numerically simulates the physical behavior of the arc during the ignition stage and establishes a transient adaptive model of the CO₂ welding arc under the external magnetic field. The effects of different magnetic field parameters on the arc plasma were studied and analyzed in terms of arc temperature, velocity and pressure. Finally, the simulation results are compared and verified with the high-speed camera images in the actual welding to analyze and confirm the mechanism of the magnetic field on the arc.