Investigation of Flow Parameters in Wire Arc Thermal Spraying Using CFD Simulation

Comprehensive study of the wire arc thermal spray technology will allow for better design and optimization of guns. In wire arc spray, a feed of two electrically-charged wires are melted using an arc. This bath of molten metal goes through an atomization process with a high pressure air being blown upon it. Flow of air will then carry the generated molten drops and deposits them on the substrate. The focus of this study is on the numerical simulation of wire arc sprays using ANSYS FLUENT software. Effects of geometrical parameters on resulting flow conditions and flow circulations inside the gun are studied. Simulation results help in better parameter selection for effective wire arc coating.