Enhancing Precision in Arc Welding Simulations: A Comprehensive Study of the Ellipsoidal Heat Source Model

Arc welding is a complex multiphysics mitigation process, and the related finite element simulation requires significant computational resources for multiphysics modeling to determine the temperature distributions in engineering problems accurately. Engineers and researchers aim to achieve reliable results from finite element analysis while minimizing computational costs. This research extensively studies the application of conventional ellipsoidal heat source formulation to obtain improved temperature distribution during arc welding for practical applications. The ellipsoidal heat source model, which artificially modifies the coefficient of thermal conductivity in the welding pool area to simulate stirring effects, is proven to be scientifically valid by comparing its results with those of COMSOL’s multiphysics arc welding analyses. The findings from finite element analyses demonstrate that the temperature fields generated using the modified ellipsoidal approach exhibit strong agreement with those obtained from multiphysics simulations, especially within the core regions of the weld pool. The method can easily be implemented in all different welding methods in which a stirring effect is formed by either electromagnetic or buoyancy-driven flows in the weld pool area. Furthermore, the method offers computational efficiency without sacrificing accuracy, making it suitable for industrial applications where multiphysics modeling is not feasible but reliable thermal and structural predictions are essential.