• CN: 11-2187/TH
  • ISSN: 0577-6686

Journal of Mechanical Engineering ›› 2026, Vol. 62 ›› Issue (14): 115-128.doi: 10.3901/JME.260746

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Research Status of Numerical Simulation of GMAW Metal Transfer Behavior Based on CFD

LI Tao1, XIAO Lei1, ZHU Haiyang1, YUAN Liangwen2, HUANG Jiankang3, FAN Ding3   

  1. 1. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Lanzhou Jiaotong University, Lanzhou 730070;
    2. Dalian Nuclear Power and Petrochemical Co., Ltd., CFHI, Dalian 116113;
    3. State Key Laboratory of Advanced Processing and Recycling of Non-ferrous Metals, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou 730050
  • Received:2025-08-10 Revised:2026-01-05 Published:2026-08-29

Abstract: The droplet transfer behavior in GMAW (Gas Metal Arc Welding) directly affects the final weld formation and quality. Investigating the coupling interactions among the arc, droplet, and molten pool during the metal transfer process is of great significance for controlling welding quality and developing or optimizing welding processes. Currently, using computational fluid dynamics(CFD) theory to establish multi-physics coupling mathematical-physical models, combined with experimental measurement techniques, has become an effective approach for comprehensively analyzing the mass and heat transfer mechanisms during droplet transfer. Focusing on the widely adopted CFD methods, this review organizes literature on numerical simulation studies of GMAW metal transfer behavior from both domestic and international perspectives over the years. It reveals that research in this area is advancing toward incorporating multiple factors, multi-physics fields, and multiphase coupling. However, several challenges remain, such as the need for better modeling of wire melting and solidification, the effects of the electrode sheath region, and turbulence effect. As the complexity of models increases, the number of mesh elements and equations to be solved has significantly grown, making high-precision, efficient CPU/GPU collaborative parallel computing the future development direction.

Key words: GMAW, metal transfer, numerical simulation

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