Modeling and Simulation of Laser Processing

Simulated a 3D laser-heating process, for the UC Berkeley course Modeling and Simulation of Advanced Manufacturing Processes, using the finite-difference method to model heat transfer, intensity absorption, and temperature distribution in a solid medium. Implemented Beer–Lambert-based laser absorption and applied the first law of thermodynamics to compute transient temperature fields across a 21×21×21 node mesh (9,261 nodes), assuming adiabatic top and bottom planes and uniform heat dissipation throughout the volume. Validated numerical accuracy through exponential laser-intensity decay with depth and correlated top–bottom plane temperature trends. Visualized thermal gradients across each plane, showing realistic spatial decay consistent with expected laser energy attenuation.