In laser-based direct energy deposition additive manufacturing, process control can be achieved through a closed loop control system in which thermal sensing of the melt pool surface is used to adjust laser processing parameters to maintain a constant surface geometry. Although this process control technique takes advantage of important in-process information, the conclusions drawn about the final solidification structure and mechanical properties of the deposited material are limited. In this study, a validated heat transfer and fluid flow laser welding model are used to examine how changes in processing parameters similar to those used in direct energy deposition processes affect the relationships between top surface and subsurface temperatures and solidification parameters in Ti-6Al-4V. The similarities between the physical processes governing laser welding and laser-based additive manufacturing make the use of a laser welding model appropriate. Numerical simulations show that liquid pools with similar top surface geometries can have substantially different penetration depths and volumes. Furthermore, molten pool surface area is found to be a poor indicator of the cooling rate at different locations in the melt pool and, therefore, cannot be relied upon to achieve targeted microstructures and mechanical properties. It is also demonstrated that as the build temperature increases and the power level is changed to maintain a constant surface geometry, variations in important solidification parameters are observed, which are expected to significantly impact the final microstructure. Based on the results, it is suggested that the conclusions drawn from current experimental thermography control systems can be strengthened by incorporating analysis through mathematical modeling. V
The evolution of temperature and velocity fields during laser processing of solar cells to produce an ohmic contact between an aluminum thin film and a silicon wafer is studied using a transient numerical heat transfer and liquid metal flow model. Since small changes in pulse duration, power, and power density can result in significant damage to the substrate and, in extreme cases, expulsion of droplets from the molten zone, the selection of optimal laser processing parameters is critical. The model considers the unusually large heat of fusion of the Al-Si alloy formed during processing and the large composition-dependent two phase region. The calculated size and shape of the fusion zone were in good agreement with the corresponding experimental data, indicating the validity of the model and providing a basis for using the model to develop a better understanding of the laser-assisted fabrication of contacts for solar cell devices. The transient changes in the composition of the Al-Si molten region are found to have a major impact on the heat transfer during the formation of the contact. Consideration of the time-dependent concentration of Al in the molten region is also essential to achieve good agreement between the experimental and computed molten pool sizes. Process maps showing peak temperatures and the depth and width of the molten pool are presented in order to assist users in the selection of safe process parameters for the rapid fabrication of these silicon-based photovoltaic devices.
The mixing of a single-component or multi-component hydrocarbon (HC) droplet in supercritical or near-critical water (SCW/NCW) is modeled. Transport, thermodynamics, and phase equilibrium sub-models are used to estimate the relevant physical properties. We use a generalized Maxwell-Stefan (MS) expression to model the multi-component mass transfer and a diffusion driving force expressed in terms of fugacity gradients to account for effects of non-ideality on mass fluxes. We compare the ideal and non-ideal diffusive driving forces for different mixing conditions and different HCs, and show that when the mixing temperature is close to or greater than the upper critical solution temperature (UCST), the non-ideal driving force model predicts a much slower mixing process and higher concentrations of the heavier HC than the ideal driving force, due to the presence of a diffusion barrier captured by the non-ideal driving force model.
Low resistance laser-fired ohmic contacts (LFCs) can be formed on the backside of Si-based solar cells using microsecond pulses. However, the impact of these longer pulse durations on the dielectric passivation layer is not clear. Retention of the passivation layer during processing is critical to ensure low recombination rates of electron-hole pairs at the rear surface of the device. In this work, advanced characterization tools are used to demonstrate that although the SiO2 passivation layer melts directly below the laser, it is well preserved outside the immediate LFC region over a wide range of processing parameters. As a result, low recombination rates at the passivation layer/wafer interface can be expected despite higher energy densities associated with these pulse durations.
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