TY - EJOU AU - Aggoune, S. AU - Amara, E.H. AU - Debiane, M. TI - Effects of the Velocity and the Nature of the Inert Gas on the Stainless Steel Laser Cut Quality T2 - Fluid Dynamics \& Materials Processing PY - 2013 VL - 9 IS - 1 SN - 1555-2578 AB - The effects of inert assisting gas nature and velocity on laser cut quality are investigated. A pure fusion cutting process just above melting point is considered, where the molten steel velocity is given as a function of the two acting forces represented by the pressure gradient and the frictional forces applied by the laminar gas flow. In the case of nitrogen assisting gas, the stainless steel melt film exhibits a visible separation point. The point where the melt flow is separated out from the solid wall depends strongly on the gas velocity. It is pushed down the cut surface when the gas velocity is increased. Furthermore, we have investgated the use of different inert gases (nitrogen, argon and helium) to blow the molten material out of the kerf, and it was noted that the argon and the nitrogen gases evacuate more easily the molten metallic film, compared to the helium gas from their cooling rates point of view. It is concluded that the two first gases are more efficient in laser cutting process of metals. We have studied a 4 mm stainless steel plate thickness without taking into account the transverse movement of the treated workpiece, the numerical solution is obtained by the volume of fluid (VOF) and solidification/melting models, implemented by Fluent CFD software. KW - boundary layer KW - cutting KW - flow KW - fusion KW - gas KW - inert KW - laser KW - melt KW - metal KW - steel DO - 10.3970/fdmp.2013.009.061