Thermal integration in laser pulse heating - a kinetic-theory approach

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Abstract
In laser surface treatment, the metallurgical changes depend upon the heating and cooling rate of the process. However, laser pulse heating is popular due to the ease and low cost of its operation. Consequently, thermal integration of the heating process becomes important insofar as pulse heating of surfaces is concerned. The present study was carried out to examine the thermal integration process during the pulse laser heating. An electron-kinetic-theory approach is introduced when modelling the heat-transfer mechanism. To determine the effect of the laser pulses on the thermal integration process, pulses having different power intensities, pulse lengths and repetition rates are taken into account. In the first case, a high intensity pulse followed by a series of pulses having the same pulse length and repetition rate, but different intensities, is considered. In the second case, a high pulse intensity followed by a series of pulses with the same intensity and pulse length, but different repetition rates, is considered. It is found that the thermal integration is possible for repetitive pulse heating and the second attempt introduced in the present study gives an improved thermal integration process.