A theoretical model for laser and powder particles interaction during laser cladding

Interactions between the laser and the powder particles lead to attenuation of the laser and make the powder particles temperatures raise. According to given stream spread and speed of the powder particles, their temperature distribution at the surface of the workpiece is calculated. The attenuation of the laser induced by the cloud is also computed. These results are plotted for the case of a Gaussian distribution. Results show that with the increasing of the powder jet incidence angle, both temperature distribution of powder particles and attenuation of the laser have very different profiles. Their effects on the clad should be considered for modelling of laser cladding. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.