Tailored Microstructures via Thermoelectric-Magnetohydrodynamics for Additive Manufacturing (TEAM)
Lead Research Organisation:
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDON
Department Name: Mechanical Engineering
Abstract
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Publications
Bhatt A
(2023)
In situ characterisation of surface roughness and its amplification during multilayer single-track laser powder bed fusion additive manufacturing
in Additive Manufacturing
Fan X
(2023)
Thermoelectric magnetohydrodynamic control of melt pool flow during laser directed energy deposition additive manufacturing
in Additive Manufacturing
Fan X
(2023)
Controlling solute channel formation using magnetic fields
in Acta Materialia
Fan X
(2025)
Magnetic modulation of keyhole instability during laser welding and additive manufacturing.
in Science (New York, N.Y.)
Fleming T
(2023)
Synchrotron validation of inline coherent imaging for tracking laser keyhole depth
in Additive Manufacturing
Iantaffi C
(2023)
Auxetic response of additive manufactured cubic chiral lattices at large plastic strains
in Materials & Design
Sinclair L
(2024)
An in situ imaging investigation of the effect of gas flow rates on directed energy deposition
in Materials & Design
| Description | Three of the key aims of the TEAM project were to i) understand the Thermoelectric Magnetohydrodynamic (TEMHD) phenomenon when a magnetic field is applied to the additive manufacturing process (3D printing) of metals, ii) demonstrate that this can have strong interaction with other inherent flows such as the surface tension driven Marangoni flow, therefore modifying the melt pool dynamics and the subsequent solidification behaviour and iii) show that TEMHD can be exploited in an advantageous way to benefit industrial processes. We have achieved all of these aims, a good is example in the Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) process is highlighted in our recent paper "Magnetic modulation of keyhole instability during laser welding and additive manufacturing" published in Science. Keyholes form from evaporation of the metal and are beneficial in both welding and additive manufacturing, allowing for thicker joins or faster fabrication. However, porosity is a major problem that occurs when the end of the keyhole pinches off forming a void. In this work, using ultra-fast X-ray imaging we demonstrated that TEMHD can reach speeds on the order of meters per second, enough to modify the overall flow. We showed that when TEMHD acts against the other inherent forces it can stabilise the keyhole preventing the initiation of the pinch off. Using permanent magnets with an intensity of 0.5 T, led to an 80% reduction in pore formation under processing conditions found in industry. In contrast, we showed that the traditional Electromagnetic Damping (EMD) phenomenon would require 5 T, an order of magnitude higher and well into the realms of super conducting magnets. A key difference is that LPBF operates at smaller length scales, e.g. 100 micron melt pool, compared to other methods such as Directed Energy Deposition (DED), where the melt pool is 1 millimetre. Due to viscous forces, both TEMHD and EMD scale inversely with the length such that high magnetic fields are needed at smaller length scales, however we found that as TEMHD scales with the thermal gradient, which increases at smaller length scales. Consequently, strong effects of TEMHD have been observed across length scales in both the LPBF and DED processes. The TEMHD effect however does require the material to exhibit semi-conductor like properties and this effect was most pronounced in higher Silicon content Aluminium alloys that are used widely in industry. |
| Exploitation Route | While the key objectives of this project have been met, there are still many avenues (including new ones identified from the project) to explore. In industrial processes, the scanning strategy is geometric in nature, such as hatching, printing corners, overhangs etc. TEMHD is dependent on the temperature gradients, which in turn depends on the scan strategy. Therefore, TEMHD becomes intimately coupled to the scan strategy and it may be necessary to optimise the magnetic field for different geometries. To scale to industry, new magnetic systems integrated with current industrial AM machines will need to be developed. There are many engineering problems to consider such as interaction of the magnetic field with the AM machine itself. There has been considerable work in solid-state thermoelectric materials through doping. These materials are typically semi-conductors with very high Seebeck coefficients >1000 uV/K and designed to operate in thermal gradients of 100 K/m. However, in metal alloys a Seebeck coefficient of >1 uV/K is considered high, however there is a direct analogy between doping and alloy composition. This research may promote the discovery of thermoelectric alloys that have excellent physical properties e.g. strong, light-weight etc. that can then be further enhanced by TEMHD. |
| Sectors | Aerospace Defence and Marine Energy Manufacturing including Industrial Biotechology Transport |
| Description | Novel Manufacturing-led Structures for Electrical Machines under Extreme Working Environments |
| Amount | £91,571 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2024 |
| End | 02/2025 |
| Description | S Bhagavath and H Chapman - Student Training and Experience for Proposals program (1st STEPs program) pilot scheme |
| Amount | £2,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | University College London |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2024 |
| End | 07/2025 |
| Description | UCL and Anna Paradowska, University of Sydney/ANSTO collaboration |
| Organisation | Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation |
| Country | Australia |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | Joint project - Solid-State Additive Manufacturing For Recycled Aluminium Alloys |
| Collaborator Contribution | Joint project - Solid-State Additive Manufacturing For Recycled Aluminium Alloys |
| Impact | Paper submitted |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | UCL and Wentao Yan, National University of Singapore collaboration |
| Organisation | National University of Singapore |
| Country | Singapore |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Provide expertise on AM experiment and data analytics. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Provide expertise on AM modelling. |
| Impact | No output yet. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | UCL and Xiao Shang, University of Toronto collaboration |
| Organisation | University of Toronto |
| Country | Canada |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Provision of beamtime experiment, expertise in AM machines, data analysis. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Participation in beamtime experiment, expertise in data analysis and AM |
| Impact | No output yet. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | C Tonry talk at TMS 2024 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | C Tonry talk at TMS 2024 "Solidification of Gallium Indium in Static and Pulsed Magnetic Fields", USA |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.tms.org/TMS2024/Home/TMS2024/Default.aspx?hkey=54504ea7-8339-4a6d-855c-30ecc0bfe027&gcli... |
| Description | CLA Leung interview podcast Tech and Science Daily |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | CLA Leung interview podcast Tech and Science Daily - How researchers are using X-Ray vision to improve Formula 1. We're joined by Dr. Chu Lun Alex Leung an Associate Professor in Advanced Manufacturing at UCL. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| URL | https://shows.acast.com/tech-science-daily/episodes/breast-cancer-deaths-to-rise-dramatically-by-205... |
| Description | H Chapman talk at TMS 2024 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | H Chapman talk at TMS 2024 "In-Situ characterisation of Directed Energy Deposition of selected nickel superalloys", USA |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.tms.org/TMS2024/Home/TMS2024/Default.aspx?hkey=54504ea7-8339-4a6d-855c-30ecc0bfe027&gcli... |
| Description | Host an external safety audit |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Host an external safety audit with the UK Health Security Agency, Harwell Campus, November 2023. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | I Krastins talk at TMS 2024 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | I Krastins talk at TMS 2024 "Microstructure Control in Additive Manufacturing Using Magnetic Fields and Strategic Scanning", USA |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.tms.org/TMS2024/Home/TMS2024/Default.aspx?hkey=54504ea7-8339-4a6d-855c-30ecc0bfe027&gcli... |
| Description | MSMaH team volunteering at Harwell Open Week |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Over 30 members of MSMaH team volunteered at the Harwell Open Week on 28 and 29 June 2024, including running a stand of using 3D pen to repair damaged turbine blades, demonstraion of 3D printing equipment, using a machine build with Lego to show concept of X-ray tomography, and presenting 3D printed organs. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.harwellcampus.com/discover/stories/open-day-2024/ |
| Description | MSMaH team volunteering at UCL Festival of Engineering |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Over 30 members of MSMaH team volunteered at the UCL Festival of Engineering on 18-20 July 2024, including running a stand of using 3D pen to repair damaged turbine blades and presenting 3D printed human organ atlas. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/ucl-festival-of-engineering-friday-3185929 |
| Description | PD Lee & CLA Leung featured in ESRF article |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | PD Lee & CLA Leung featured in ESRF article, "Researchers find a mechanism of large pore formation in additive manufacturing" |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.rc-harwell.ac.uk/news/new-deep-learning-model-boosts-additive-manufacturing-x-ray-analys... |
| Description | PD Lee & CLA Leung featured in Industrial Equipment News |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | PD Lee & CLA Leung featured in Industrial Equipment News, "Massive X-Ray Facility Shows How Magnets Can Reduce Flaws in 3D Printed Parts" |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| URL | https://www.ien.com/additive-manufacturing/news/22934025/massive-xray-facility-shows-how-magnets-can... |
| Description | PD Lee & CLA Leung featured in Technology Networks |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | PD Lee & CLA Leung featured in Technology Networks, "Magnets Could Reduce Flaws in 3D-Printed Components" |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| URL | https://www.technologynetworks.com/tn/news/magnets-could-reduce-flaws-in-3d-printed-components-39646... |
| Description | PD Lee & CLA Leung featured in Voxel Matters |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | PD Lee & CLA Leung featured in Voxel Matters, "Researchers reduce flaws in 3D printed components using magnets" |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| URL | https://www.voxelmatters.com/researchers-reduce-flaws-in-3d-printed-components-using-magnets/ |
| Description | PD Lee & CLA Leung featured on Harwell News online |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | PD Lee & CLA Leung featured on Harwell News online, "New deep learning model boosts additive manufacturing X-ray analysis", UK |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.rc-harwell.ac.uk/news/new-deep-learning-model-boosts-additive-manufacturing-x-ray-analys... |
| Description | PD Lee & CLA Leung hosted Junji Shinjo from Shimane University at Research Complex at Harwell. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | PD Lee & CLA Leung hosted Junji Shinjo from Shimane University at Research Complex at Harwell. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | PD Lee and CLA Leung hosted a Parker Aerospace visit to Harwell |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | PD Lee and CLA Leung hosted a Parker Aerospace visit to Harwell. Visitors include Diane Zanca (Director of Central Engineering), Chad Seaborn (Analytical Sciences Manager), Shane Nicholson (Senior Principal Engineer), Tom Halhead (Technical Director), Cameron Breheny (Senior Materials and Applications Engineer). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | PD Lee attended ESA/ESTEEC Meeting |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | PDL attended ESA/ESTEEC Meeting - Physical Sciences Working Group, The Netherlands |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | PD Lee on organising panel for TMS 2024 Symposium Defects and Properties of Cast Metals. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | PD Lee on organising panel for TMS 2024 Symposium Defects and Properties of Cast Metals. Full Panel: Lang Yuan, University of South Carolina; Andrew Kao, University of Greenwich; Brian G. Thomas, Colorado School of Mines; Peter D. Lee, University College London; Mark Roderic Jolly, Cranfield University Alex J. Plotkowski, Oak Ridge National Laboratory Kyle Fezi, Fort Wayne Metals |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.programmaster.org/PM/PM.nsf/UpcomingSymposia/D913BF93115EAF8085258947007FC71C?OpenDocume... |
| Description | PD Lee talk at Queen Mary University of London departmental meeting |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | PD Lee talk at Queen Mary University of London departmental meeting, "Seeing Inside Additive Manufacturing to Intact Human Organs with Micron Resolution", London, UK |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | PD Lee talk at XFEL Town Hall |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | PD Lee talk at XFEL Town Hall, "Is XFEL needed to image additive manufacturing processes in real and reciprocal space?", Wales |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | W Li talk at TMS 2024 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | W Li talk at TMS 2024 "Deep Neural Network for Image Segmentation and Feature Quantification during Laser Powder Bed Fusion Additive Manufacturing", USA |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.tms.org/TMS2024/Home/TMS2024/Default.aspx?hkey=54504ea7-8339-4a6d-855c-30ecc0bfe027&gcli... |
| Description | X Fan invited talk at EPM2024 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | X Fan invited talk at EPM2024, "In-situ Synchrotron Investigation of Magnetic Fields Control of Melt Flow during Solidification", Shanghai, China |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | X Fan talk at FEMS EUROMAT 2023 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | X Fan talk at FEMS EUROMAT 2023, "Magnetic field control of melt flow during additive manufacturing", Frankfurt, Germany |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | X Fan talk at Rolls-Royce Service's Technology Student Conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | X Fan talk at Rolls-Royce Service's Technology Student Conference, Derby, UK |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | X Fan talk at TMS 2024 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | X Fan Invited talk at TMS 2024 "Manipulating Flow during Solidification Using Magnetic Fields", USA |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.tms.org/TMS2024/Home/TMS2024/Default.aspx?hkey=54504ea7-8339-4a6d-855c-30ecc0bfe027&gcli... |
| Description | X Fan talk at TMS 2024 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | X Fan talk at TMS 2024 "Controlling Melt Pool Dynamics during Additive Manufacturing using External Forces", USA |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.tms.org/TMS2024/Home/TMS2024/Default.aspx?hkey=54504ea7-8339-4a6d-855c-30ecc0bfe027&gcli... |