Work

Unified analytical thermal modeling of laser powder bed fusion: Integration of semi-infinite heat conduction and boundary effects

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: This article proposes a novel implementation of a classic analytical thermal model for a moving heat source in bounded regions, building on the exact solution for the temperature distribution arising from a stationary heat source in a wedge with zero-flux boundaries. With the implementation of this boundary-aware basis, the model, for the first time, provides a single closed-form solution that accounts for both conduction in a semi-infinite domain and boundary effects simultaneously, eliminating the need for separate calculations for each. Furthermore, the primary significance of the proposed model lies in its applicability to various elementary boundary types, including convex and concave corners, straight sides, and curved boundaries when the latter are supplied to the model as linear-segment discretization. Moreover, another strength of this model is its ability to predict boundary effects on the melt pool in arbitrary convex polygon geometry by treating each polygon as a combination of straight sides and corners and implementing the superposition of their corresponding simple solutions. Initially, the model is evaluated in distinct corners with different angles by moving the laser parallel to the sides at different offsets. Subsequently, to investigate the impacts of scan path, various scan strategies are applied to square, triangular and hexagonal geometries. Melt pool depth, as an indicator of the accuracy of the predicted temperature distribution, is used for model validation by comparing the results obtained from the proposed model with those from numerical simulation, demonstrating good agreement. The results reveal that as the boundary angle becomes sharper and the laser moves closer to the boundaries, greater heat accumulation and deeper melt pools are observed. The generality and applicability of this analytical model to arbitrary part geometry and scan paths make it a beneficial tool for detecting heat accumulation and evaluation of scan paths.

Source: International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2026.129662

Authors: Hamed R. Charandabi, Samaneh Arman, Ismail Lazoglu

Institution: Koç University

Language: English

Topic: Additive Manufacturing Materials and Processes

Subfield: Mechanical Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: hybrid

Estimated APC paid: $4,220

Funder: Türkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Araştırma Kurumu