About this Abstract |
| Meeting |
2026 TMS Annual Meeting & Exhibition
|
| Symposium
|
Materials Research in Reduced Gravity
|
| Presentation Title |
Advancing In-Space Laser Beam Welding Through Multiphysics Modeling and Parabolic Flight Data |
| Author(s) |
Aaron Brimmer, Will McAuley, Eugene Choi, Kaue Riffel, Boyd Panton, Antonio Ramirez |
| On-Site Speaker (Planned) |
Aaron Brimmer |
| Abstract Scope |
Laser beam welding (LBW) is a strong candidate for in-space servicing, assembly, and manufacturing (ISAM), but the effects of space conditions – microgravity, vacuum, and extreme temperatures – on keyhole behavior remain unclear. This work presents a calibrated multiphysics model of keyhole LBW, developed using data from parabolic flight campaigns in 2024 and 2025. The “LUNARWELD” payload, created at The Ohio State University in partnership with NASA, enabled microgravity LBW experiments with in-situ (thermal imaging, videography, thermocouples) and ex-situ (weld metallography) data collection. These data informed a transient model capturing thermal-fluid interactions that govern keyhole dynamics under space-like conditions. This study takes a critical step toward predictive modeling of LBW for ISAM, providing insight into keyhole stability and process tolerances needed for reliable off-Earth welding. |
| Proceedings Inclusion? |
Planned: |
| Keywords |
Joining, Modeling and Simulation, Computational Materials Science & Engineering |