• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.600-605
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• 2002

The keyhole formed by high energy density laser-material interaction periodically collapses due to surface tension of the molten metal in partial penetration welds. The collapse sometimes traps a void at the bottom of the keyhole, and it remains as welding defects. This phenomenon is seen as one cause of the instability of the keyhole during laser beam welding. Thus, it seems likely that improving the stability of the keyhole can reduce voids and uniform the penetration depth. The goal of this work is to develop techniques for controlling laser weld keyhole dynamics to reduce weld defects such as voids and inconsistent penetration. Statistical analysis of the penetration depth signals in glycerin determined that keyhole dynamics are chaotic. The chaotic nature of keyhole fluctuations and the ability of laser power modulation to control them have been demonstrated by high-speed video images of laser welds in glycerin. Additionally, an incident leading beam angle is applied to enhance the stability of the keyhole. The quasi-sinusoidal laser beam power of 400Hz frequency and 15$^{\circ}$ incident leading beam angle were determined to be the optimum parameters for the reduction of voids. Finally, chaos analyses of uncontrolled signals and controlled signals were done to show the effectiveness of modulation on the keyhole dynamics. Three-dimensional phase plots for uncontrolled system and controlled system are produced to demonstrate that the chaotic keyhole dynamics is converted to regular periodic behavior by control methods: power modulation and incident leading beam angle.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.484-490
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• 2002

The formation and stability of stationary laser weld keyholes were investigated using a numerical simulation. The effect of multiple reflections in the keyhole was estimated using the ray tracing method, and the free surface profile, flow velocity and temperature distribution were calculated numerically. In the simulation, the keyhole was formed by the displacement of the melt induced by evaporation recoil pressure, while surface tension and hydrostatic pressure opposed cavity formation. A transition mode having the geometry of the conduction mode with keyhole formation occurred between the conduction and keyhole modes. At laser powers of 500W and greater, the protrusion occurred on the keyhole wall, which resulted in keyhole collapse and void formation at the bottom. Initiation of the protrusion was caused mainly by collision of upward and downward flows due to the pressure components, and Marangoni flow had minor effects on the flow patterns and keyhole stability.bility.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.464-471
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• 2002

Porosity formation in partial penetration welds by high power lasers is a serious problem in industry. There are two main causes that induce porosity formation. One form of porosity is due to gases (e.g. hydrogen, oxygen) dissolving into the weld pool because of the high temperature and then the rapid solidification traps gases as a bubble in the weld metal. The second problem is voids formed by the keyhole collapsing due to unstable keyhole fluid dynamics. The voids that form at the bottom of the keyhole are relatively large and irregular in shape compared to the gas bubbles; this void formation is the primary concern in this paper. The reduction of voids formed by keyhole collapse is achieved by improving the stability of keyhole. Two methods to improve keyhole stability are discussed in this paper: pulse modulation and beam incident angle. Pulse modulation of the laser beam was performed between 100 Hz and 500 Hz to find out the optimum frequency for the keyhole dynamics. The incident beam angle changed the impact angle of the laser beam to the work surface in a range of 0 to 25 degrees. Glycerin in a semi-solidified state is used as a medium for performing the welding because its transparency allows of visualization of the keyhole.

• Laser Solutions
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.13-19
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• 2001

When a high-power laser beam is irradiated on the surface of material, it is well known that a cavity, called a keyhole induced by the pressure action of the vapor plume, is generated in the molten material. This paper describes the interaction between a pulsed CO$_2$ laser beam and water. The laser-beam is used to generate and maintain a conical depression in the water surface similar to the keyhole created during laser penetration welding. Experimental results show that the depth of laser-beam penetration is limited by hydrodynamic instability. The instability of the surface cavity can be understood by the capillary instability of a hollow jet. Theoretical computation of the steady keyhole shape has been performed. modifying the model suggested by Andrews et al. (1976). The model predicts the qualitative behavior of the keyhole but significantly underestimates the average diameter.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.31 no.3
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• pp.282-292
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• 2007

The present paper describes the results of high speed photography, acoustic emission (AE) detection and plasma light emission (LE) measurement during $CO_2$ laser welding of 304 stainless steel in different processing conditions. Video images with high spatial and temporal resolution allowed to observe the melt dynamics and keyhole evolution. The existence of keyhole was confirmed by the slag motion on the weld pool. The characteristic frequencies of flow instability and keyhole fluctuations at different welding speed were measured and compared with the results of Fourier analyses of temporal AE and LE spectra. The experimental results were compared with the newly developed numerical model of keyhole dynamics. The model is based on the assumption that the propagation of front part of keyhole into material is due to the melt ejection driven by laser induced surface evaporation. The calculations predict that a high speed melt flow is induced at the front part of keyhole when the sample travel speed exceeds several 10 mm/s. The numerical analysis also shows the hump formation on the front keyhole wall surface. Experimentally observed melt behavior and transformation of the AE and LE spectra with variation of welding speed are qualitatively in good agreement with the model predictions.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.60 no.3
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• pp.275-281
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• 2017

Treating diseases in the field of neurosurgery has progressed concomitantly with technical advances. Here, as a surgical armamentarium for the treatment of cerebral aneurysms, the history and present status of the keyhole approach and the use of neuroendoscopy are reviewed, including our clinical data. The major significance of keyhole approach is to expose an essential space toward a target, and to minimize brain exposure and retraction. Among several kinds of keyhole approaches, representative keyhole approaches for anterior circulation aneurysms include superciliary and lateral supraorbital, frontolateral, mini-pterional and mini-interhemispheric approaches. Because only a fixed and limited approach angle toward a target is permitted via the keyhole, however, specialized surgical devices and preoperative planning are very important. Neuroendoscopy has helped to widen the indications of keyhole approaches because it can supply illumination and visualization of structures beyond the straight line of microscopic view. In addition, endoscopic indocyanine green fluorescence angiography is useful to detect and correct any compromise of the perforators and parent arteries, and incomplete clipping. The authors think that keyhole approach and neuroendoscopy are just an intermediate step and robotic neurosurgery would be realized in the near future.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.72-77
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• 2012

Phase Contrast MR Angiography(PC MRA) is excellent MRA technique for measuring the velocity of vessels in the human body. PC MRA need to at least four images for angiogram reconstruction and it caused longer scan time. Therefore, we used keyhole imaging combined PC MRA to reduce the scan time. However, keyhole imaging can lead the erroneous effects as loss of phase information or frequency discontinuous. In this study, we applied the keyhole imaging combined 2D PC MRA for improving the temporal resolution and also measured the velocity to evaluate the accuracy of phase information. We used 0.32T MRI scanner(Magfinder II, Scimedix, Korea). Using the 2D PC MRA pulse sequence, the vascular images for a human brain targeted on the Superior Sagittal Sinus(SSS) were obtained. We applied tukey window function for keyhole images to minimize the ringing artifact and erroneous factors that are induced frequency discontinuous and phase information loss. We also applied zero-padded algorithm to peripheral missing k-space lines to compare keyhole imaging results and the artifact power(AP) value was measured on the complex difference images to validate the image quality. Consider as based on our results, heavy image distortions and artifacts were shown until using at least 50% keyhole factor. Using above the 50% keyhole factors are shown well reconstructed and matched for magnitude images and velocity information measurements. In conclusion, we confirmed the image quality and velocity information of keyhole technique combined 2D PC MRA. Especially, measured velocity information through the keyhole imaging combination was similar to the velocity information of full sampled k-space image despite of frequency discontinuous and phase information loss in the keyhole imaging reconstruction process. Consequently, the keyhole imaging combined 2D PC MRA will give some clinical usefulness and advantages as improving the temporal resolution and measuring the velocity information via selecting the appropriate keyhole factor at low tesla MRI system.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Marine Environment & Safety
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.23-31
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• 1997

The results of high speed photography, acoustic emission detection and plasma UV radiation intensity measurement during CO2 laser welding of stainless steel 304 are presented. Video images with high spatial and temporal resolution allowed to observe the melt dynamics and keyhole evolution. The existence of a high speed melt flow which originated from the part of weld pool and flowed along the sides wall of keyhole was confirmed by the slag motion on the weld pool. the characteristic frequencies of flow instability and keyhole fluctuations at different welding speed were measured and compared with the results of Fourier analyses of temporal acoustic emission (AE) and light emission (LE) spectra. The experimental results were compared with the newly developed numerical model of keyhole dynamics. (The model is based on the assumption that the propagation of front part of keyhole into material is due to the melt ejection driven by laser induced surface evaporation.) The calculations predict that a high speed melt flow is induced at the front part of keyhole when the sample travel speed exceeds several 10mm/s. The numerical analysis also shows the hump formation on the front keyhole wall surface. Experimentally observed melt behavior and transformation of the AE and LE spectra with variation of welding speed are qualitatively in good agreement with the model predictions.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2007.05a
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• pp.1307-1311
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• 2007

Three-dimensional transient keyhole profile is numerically analyzed for the case of stationary laser keyhole welding. Volume of fluid (VOF) method is adopted to track the free surface of molten metal based on the three governing equations which are continuity, momentum and energy equations. Multiple reflections of laser beam at the keyhole walls are also included in analysis through a real-time ray tracing technique. In this simulation, especially, polarization of laser is considered as an energy absorption mechanism following the Fresnel reflection theory. Both cases of linearly and circularly polarized beam are simulated and compared. The results show that the theoretically generated keyhole is asymmetrically stretched along the direction of polarization which is already observed experimentally before.

• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
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• 2002.10a
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• pp.644-651
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• 2002

The formation and stability of stationary laser weld keyholes are investigated using a numerical simulation. The effect of multiple reflections in the keyhole is estimated using the ray tracing method, and the free surface profile, flow velocity and temperature distribution are calculated numerically. In the simulation, the keyhole is formed by the displacement of the melt induced by evaporation recoil pressure, while surface tension and hydrostatic pressure oppose cavity formation. At laser powers of 500W and greater, the protrusion occurs on the keyhole wall, which results in keyhole collapse and void formation at the bottom. Initiation of the protrusion is caused mainly by collision of upward and downward flows due to the pressure components.