Application of CAD to CFD for the Wire Arc Spray Process

In view of its advantages (simplicity, low cost, high deposition rate), the wire arc spray process has become a widely used technology for the spraying of metals. Nevertheless, numerous parameters (gun design, atomizing gas nature, velocities, pressures, ...) may have a significant influence on the quality of the produced coatings. One of the major problems related in the literature concerns the poor control over the spray pattern; the understanding of this phenomenon has thus become essential for further improvements. In the present study, a special feature of the PHOENICS commercial code (from CAD to CFD ) was used to produce a 3D simulation of the flow within the gun and outside. This method was especially useful in view of the complex geometry of the TAFA 9000 gun, which was investigated. The results show the presence of a highly asymmetric external jet.