Thermal design of operating parameter for reliable AlSi7Mg selective laser melting

Abstract

Gas turbines require high power density for applications like aircraft and future mobility. Increasing operating temperature, particularly turbine inlet temperature, boosts performance. However, conventional cooling methods limit this increase. Selective laser melting (SLM) offers a promising avenue for realizing advanced cooling configurations beyond conventional fabrication techniques. However, unexpected defects in the final product can occur, making pre-fabrication quality estimation difficult. This necessitates thermal analysis during SLM and design guidelines for suitable fabrication. This study investigates the thermal design guidelines for AlSi7Mg alloy using SLM for high-heat-flux applications. Simulations explored melt pool size dependence on operating parameters like laser power and scan speed. Comparisons with experimental results revealed diverse heat transfer modes under different operating conditions. Finally, a normalized enthalpy factor, integrating operating parameters like scan speed and laser power, was proposed for thermal design in SLM processes for high-heat-flux applications.

Keywords

• Additive manufacturing
• Selective laser melting
• Thermal design
• Design guideline
• Normalized enthalpy