Numerical Simulation and Experimental Study of Electromagnetic Pulse Welding Based on Loading Loop Pulse Current

Electromagnetic pulse welding (EMPW) represents a critical application of pulsed power technology in advanced manufacturing. However, conventional EMPW techniques exhibit relatively low efficiency in converting electromagnetic energy into the kinetic energy of the flyer, often requiring high voltage and large current to achieve reliable metallurgical bonding. To address this limitation, an enhanced EMPW method based on loading loop pulse current is introduced. By injecting an additional pulsed current into the flyer, the current density and resulting Lorentz force density are significantly increased, leading to a higher collision velocity and improved joint quality. A multiphysics finite-element model was established in COMSOL to investigate the distributions of current, magnetic field, Lorentz force, and collision velocity under the influence of the loaded pulse current. Experimental validation was conducted to support the numerical findings. Simulation and experimental results demonstrate that, at a discharge voltage of 7 kV, the proposed method achieves a Lorentz force density of $2.09\times 10^{11}$ N/m² and a flyer collision velocity of 224.5 m/s. These values are comparable to those obtained in conventional EMPW at 10 kV, which produces a Lorentz force density of2.03 × 10¹¹ N/m² and a velocity of 226.7 m/s. Despite comparable welding performance, energy consumption is reduced by approximately 51%, indicating a substantial improvement in the utilization of electromagnetic energy. The proposed approach offers a promising solution for improving energy efficiency in EMPW and supports broader industrial applications of this technology.