Numerical investigation of droplet impact on the welding pool in gas metal arc welding

A transient three‐dimensional model that describes physical phenomena inside a welding pool during gas–metal arc welding process is presented. The model considers such phenomena as heat‐mass transfer, electromagnetics, hydrodynamic processes and deformation of the weld pool free surface. The fluid flow in the weld pool is induced due to the presence of the mechanical impact of the droplets, thermo‐capillary surface tension, thermal buoyancy and electromagnetic forces. The weld pool surface deformation is calculated by considering arc pressure and droplet impact force. A comparative analysis of the impact of the electric current of the welding arc and different force factors causing the motion of liquid metal in the weld pool on the shape of the welded seam was carried out and discussed.     

等离子弧焊接熔池和小孔形成过程数值分析

目的 研究等离子弧焊接穿孔过程中熔池内部的金属流动情况和小孔动态变化过程。方法 通过“传热-熔池流动-小孔”之间的相互耦合关系,建立了等离子弧焊接穿孔过程的数值分析模型,通过VOF方法追踪了小孔界面,采用FLOW-3D软件模拟了等离子弧焊接熔池和小孔的形成过程,定量计算了等离子弧焊接温度场、熔池流场及小孔形状;分析了等离子弧焊接熔池和小孔行为;并通过等离子弧焊接实验数据验证了模拟结果。结果 当焊接时间为0~1.0 s时,小孔深度曲线与熔深曲线几乎相同,小孔底部紧贴熔池底部;在2.8 s以后,小孔深度曲线与熔深曲线有一定距离,小孔深度曲线在一定范围内波动,等离子弧焊接电弧挖掘作用到达极限,电弧压力与其他力达到平衡状态。模拟的焊缝熔深为8.04 mm、熔宽为13.20 mm,实验测得的焊缝熔深为8.00 mm、熔宽为13.42 mm。结论 构建的随小孔动态变化的曲面热源模型和电弧压力模型可以描述等离子弧焊接过程中的电弧热-力分布;模拟出了等离子弧焊接熔池和小孔动态演变过程;模拟得到的等离子弧焊接焊缝形貌与实验测得的焊缝形貌基本吻合。     

Numerical simulation of variable polarity vertical-up plasma arc welding process

Three-dimensional transient governing equations were developed based on conservation laws of energy, momentum and mass. These equations described physical phenomena of convection in weld pool and heat transfer in workpiece during variable polarity vertical-up plasma arc welding process. Boundary conditions for the developed governing equations were given. Welding energy input for variable polarity vertical-up plasma arc welding process was quantitatively expressed. Free surface deformation of the keyhole molten pool was coupled into calculation. Effect of wire filling on the geometry of molten pool and weld reinforcement was considered in the simulation. Correlations of temperature and thermophysical properties for aluminum alloy 2219 were quantitatively established. A control volume based finite difference method was used to solve the discrete governing equations. Moreover, dynamic evolutions of geometrical profile, dimension and fluid flow for the molten pool and keyhole were simulated through the developed computational routines, which achieved transient solution of fluid flow field coupling with thermophysical properties, temperature field and weld pool free surface deformation. Besides, the effect of the workpiece thickness on the moments of keyhole formation and stable keyhole establishment was analyzed, and thermal cycles for the main welding stage were calculated. In addition, experiments via variable polarity vertical-up plasma arc welding technique were conducted, and the established models were experimentally verified through weld cross-section profiles.     

Numerical analysis of weld pool geometry in globular-transfer gas metal arc welding

The weld pool geometry and its dimension in the globular-transfer mode during gas metal arc welding (GMAW) were numerically analyzed by using the thermal conduction model, which considered the influence of the deformation of weld pool surface on heat flow in the quasi-steady state. According to the features of the globular-transfer mode, the additional heat energy from molten metal droplets was treated as a plane or volumetric heat source term to correspond to different welding conditions. The weld pool surface profile was predicted while considering the effect of droplet impingement on the depression of the weld pool. The bead-on-plate GMAW experiments were performed under different welding conditions to validate the model of numerical analysis. It has been found that the predicted results agree well with the measured ones.     

Numerical simulation of humping phenomenon in high speed gas metal arc welding

It is of great significance to obtain a thorough understanding of the physical mechanisms responsible for humping bead phenomenon in high speed gas metal arc welding (GMAW) in order to raise welding efficiency. Experiments were conducted to observe the weld pool behaviors in high speed GMAW, and it was found that both the severely deformed weld pool surface and strong backward flowing play a dominant role in humping bead formation. In this study, a mathematical model is developed to quantitatively analyze the forming mechanism of humping beads for high speed GMAW through considering both the momentum and heat content distribution of the backward flowing molten metal inside the weld pool. The transient development of temperature profiles in the weld pool with severe deformation demonstrates the humping bead forming process under some welding conditions. The predicted and measured humping bead dimensions are in agreement.     

Numerical simulation on interaction between TIG welding arc and weld pool

The interface deformation between welding arc and weld pool is important in dynamic coupling numerical simulation on arc and pool. To reveal the interaction between welding arc and weld pool, unified mathematic model of TIG welding arc and pool was established in this paper. The moving interface was solved by updating the calculation region of arc and weld pool continually. Fluid flow and heat transfer of TIG welding arc and weld pool were analyzed basing on this model. The weld pool shape calculated by dynamic coupling welding arc and pool is more close to the experiment than that of non coupling calculation.     

Numerical Simulation of the TIG Welding Arc Behavior

Achieving an effective utilization and exploitation of TIG welding arcs require a thorough understanding of the plasma properties and its physical processes.Through simultaneous solutions of the set of conservation equations for mass,momentum, energy and current, a mathematical model has been developed to predict the velocity,temperature,and current density distributions in argon welding arcs.The predicted temperature fields in arc regions, and the distribution of current density and heat flux at the anode agree well with measurements reported in literatures.This work could lay the foundation for developing a comprehensive model of the TIG welding process where a dynamic, two-way coupling between the welding arc and the weld pool surface is properly represented.     

高铝粉煤灰活性剂影响TIG电弧行为研究

为了研究高铝粉煤灰作为活性剂对钨极氩弧焊电弧特性的影响规律,继而明确复合成分活性剂调控焊接电弧增加焊缝熔深的机制。基于自行开发的数据采集平台,进行了实时焊接电流、电压、焊接热循环的数据采集;基于霍尔传感器测量了电弧电流密度及其作用半径;用自制的电弧力测量装置,研究了工件表面涂覆活性剂对电弧综合作用力的影响。实验结果说明,涂覆在工件表面的活性剂在高能的等离子弧的作用下将形成复杂气氛,复杂的气氛导致焊接过程中的电弧动态特性及其电弧力产生改变,继而影响焊缝的形貌。     

基于机器学习的薄板等离子弧搭接焊的熔深预测

在等离子弧搭接焊中,搭接焊接头的焊缝熔深是评价焊接质量的关键指标之一,而焊接过程中的热输入信息和熔池图像信息都与焊缝熔深有密切关系。本文通过建立304L不锈钢薄板等离子弧搭接焊数据采集系统,利用LabVIEW实时检测电信息,采用视觉传感技术实时获取薄板等离子弧搭接焊过程中的熔池图像,并通过图像处理方法获得熔池的几何参数信息,结合焊接工艺参数,选择峰值电流、峰值电压、焊接速度、离子气流量、保护气流量、熔池宽度和熔池后端长度作为输入量,焊缝熔深作为输出量,建立了基于支持向量机回归和BP神经网络的熔深预测模型。实验验证表明,采用径向基函数的支持向量机回归模型可以有效地对焊缝熔深进行预测,并具有很好的泛化能力,可为进一步实现在线优化焊接工艺参数提供依据。     

The mechanism of penetration increase in A-TIG welding

The mechanism of the increasing of A-TIG welding penetration is studied by using the activating flux we developed for stainless steel. The effect of flux on the flow and temperature fields of weld pool is simulated by the PHOENICS software. It shows that without flux, the fluid flow will be outward along the surface of the weld pool and then down, resulting in a flatter weld pool shape. With the flux, the oxygen, which changes the temperature dependence of surface tension grads from a negative value to a positive value, can cause significant changes on the weld penetration. Fluid flow will be inward along the surface of the weld pool toward the center and then down. This fluid flow pattern efficiently transfers heat to the weld root and produces a relatively deep and narrow weld. This change is the main cause of penetration increase. Moreover, arc construction can cause the weld width to become narrower and the penetration to become deeper, but this is not the main cause of penetration increase. The effects of flux on fluid flow of the weld pool surface and arc profiles were observed in conventional TIG welding and in A-TIG welding by using high-speed video camera. The fluid flow behavior was visualized in real-time scale by micro focused X-ray transmission video observation system. The result indicated that stronger inward fluid flow patterns leading to weld beads with narrower width and deeper penetration could be apparently identified in the case of A-TIG welding. The flux could change the direction of fluid flow in welding pool. It has a good agreement with the simulation results.     

Robust sensing of arc length

During arc welding, the arc heats and melts the workpiece as heat flux. When the welding current is given, the distribution and the intensity of the heat flux are determined by the length of the are. The measurement and control of the are length are fundamental in robotic and automated welding operations. Length of welding arc determines the distribution of the arc energy and thus the heat input and width of the weld. This work aims at improving the measurement accuracy of arc length using the spectrum of are light at a particular wavelength during gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) with argon shield. To this end, effects of welding parameters on spectral distributions were studied. To verify the effects of base metal and arc length, the arc column was also sampled horizontally as Layers for spectral analysis. Results show that spectral lines of argon atoms are determined by are length, independent of welding parameters other than the current. Based on these findings, a compact arc light sensor has been designed to measure the arc length with adequate accuracy. A closed-loop arc length control system has been developed with the proposed sensor     

Effect of controlled atmosphere on the mig-mag arc weldment properties

Due to their higher welding speed, automation and weld pool protection against to the atmosphere gases, gas metal arc welding (GMAW) process is widely used in industry. Due to the less stable arc associated with the use of consumable electrodes, GMAW process is not clean as good as gas tungsten arc welding process. Furthermore, the greater arc length in GMAW process also reduces the protective effect of the shielding gas. Due to electrochemical and thermochemical reactions between weld pool and arc atmosphere, it is quite important, especially weld metal toughness and joining of reactive materials to entirely create inert atmosphere for GMAW process. Therefore, a controlled atmosphere cabinet was developed for GMAW process. Low carbon steel combinations were welded with classical GMAW process in argon atmosphere as well as controlled atmosphere cabinet by using similar welding parameters. The mechanical and metallurgical properties of both weldments were evaluated. Result shows that toughness of the weld metal that was obtained in the controlled atmosphere cabinet much higher than that of classical GMAW process. The metallographic examination also clarified that there was not any gas porosity and inclusion in the weld metal compared with classical process.     

Numerical simulation of fluid flow and temperature field in keyhole double‐sided arc welding process on stainless steel

Double‐sided arc welding process powered by a single supply is a type of novel high‐production process. In comparison with the conventional single‐sided arc welding, this process has remarkable advantages in enhancing penetration, minimizing distortion and improving welding production. In this paper, a three‐dimensional steady numerical model is developed for the heat transfer and fluid flow in plasma arc (PA)–gas tungsten arc (GTA) double‐sided keyhole welding process. The model considers the surface tension gradient, electromagnetic force and buoyancy force. A CCD camera is used to observe the size and shape of the keyhole and weld pool. The acquired images are analysed through image processing to obtain the surface diameters of the keyhole on the two sides. A double‐V‐shaped keyhole geometry is then proposed and its characteristic parameters are derived from the images and cross‐section of weld bead. In the numerical model, the keyhole cavum within the weld pool is treated as a whole quality, whose temperature is fixed at the boiling point of the workpiece material. The heat exchange between the keyhole and weld pool is treated as an interior boundary of the workpiece. Based on the numerical model, the distributions of the fluid flow and temperature field are calculated. A comparison of cross‐section of the weld bead with the experimental result shows that the numerical model's accuracy is reasonable. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Activated flux TIG welding of Inconel 718 super alloy in presence of tri-component flux

In this study, we have explored the influence of newly developed tri-component oxide flux (Cr₂O₃, FeO, and MoO₃) on weldability, bead geometry, weld pool temperature variation, and mechanical strength of Inconel 718 welded joints. Moreover, the influence of used flux on weld pool, the surface morphology of electrode and penetration capability of tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding on Inconel 718 plates have been well elucidated. Results indicate that the flux mixture significantly increases the penetration depth as well as aspect ratio almost 200% as compared to conventional TIG welding. The arc constriction caused by newly developed oxide flux upsurges the heat density and the weld pool temperature of joints. The alloying effect caused by entrapped oxide particles greatly improves the hardness as well as the tensile strength of joints. The reported reinforcement in the welding performance may increase potential utility of the developed methods for real-world applications.     

Effects of CO2 shielding gas additions and welding speed on GTA weld shape

Gas tungsten arc (GTA) welding with deep penetration for high efficiency has long been of concern in industry. Experimental results showed that the small addition of carbon dioxide to the argon shielding gas produces an increase in the weld metal oxygen content, which is one of the compositional variables that strongly influence the Marangoni convection on the pool surface and ultimately change the weld pool shape. An inward Marangoni convection on the weld pool occurs, and hence a narrow and deep weld pool forms when the weld metal oxygen content is over the critical value of 100 ppm. When lower than this value, the weld shape becomes wide and shallow. A heavy oxide layer forms in the periphery area on the pool surface when the CO₂ concentration in the shielding gas is over 0.6%. This continuous heavy oxide layer becomes a barrier for oxygen absorption into the molten pool, and also changes the convection mode on the pool surface. A higher welding speed decreases the heat input and temperature gradient on the pool surface, which weakens the Marangoni convection on the liquid surface.     

Predicting of bead undercut defects in high-speed gas metal arc welding (GMAW)

In the gas metal arc welding (GMAW) process, when the welding speed reaches a certain threshold, there will be an onset of weld bead undercut defects which limit the further increase of the welding speed. Establishing a mathematical model for high-speed GMAW to predict the tendency of bead undercuts is of great significance to prevent such defects. Under the action of various forces, the transferred metal from filler wire to the weld pool, and the geometry and dimension of the pool itself decide if the bead undercut occurs or not. The previous model simplified the pool shape too much. In this paper, based on the actual weld pool geometry and dimension calculated from a numerical model, a hydrostatic model for liquid metal surface is used to study the onset of bead undercut defects in the high-speed welding process and the effects of different welding parameters on the bead undercut tendency.     

Predicting of bead undercut defects in high-speed gas metal arc welding (GMAW)

In the gas metal arc welding (GMAW) process, when the welding speed reaches a certain threshold, there will be an onset of weld bead undercut defects which limit the further increase of the welding speed. Establishing a mathematical model for high-speedGMAWto predict the tendency of bead undercuts is of great significance to prevent such defects. Under the action of various forces, the transferred metal from filler wire to the weld pool, and the geometry and dimension of the pool itself decide if the bead undercut occurs or not. The previous model simplified the pool shape too much. In this paper, based on the actual weld pool geometry and dimension calculated from a numerical model, a hydrostatic model for liquid metal surface is used to study the onset of bead undercut defects in the high-speed welding process and the effects of different welding parameters on the bead undercut tendency.     

Numerical Analysis of Two-Way Interaction between Weld-Pool and Arc for GTA Welding Process

［1］H.G.Fan, S.J.Na and Y.W.Shi: J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys., 1997, 30, 94. ［2］Y.P.Lei and Y.W.Shi: Numerical Heat Transfer B,1994, 26, 455. ［3］R.T.C.Choo, J.Szekely and R.C.Westhoff: Metall. Trans. B, 1992, 23B, 357.     

Numerical analysis of AC tungsten inert gas welding of aluminum plate in consideration of oxide layer cleaning

A unified numerical simulation model of AC TIG welding of the aluminum plate considering energy balance among the electrode, the arc and the base metal and employing an analytical model for calculating cleaning rate of the oxide layer has been developed for investigating heat transport properties and weld pool formation process in AC TIG welding of aluminum plate. As a result of this simulation, it was shown that although the heat flux from the arc onto the base metal increases in EN (Electrode Negative) phase due to the electron condensation, that in EP (Electrode Positive) phase conversely decreases because mainly of cooling caused by the electron emission. Furthermore, the validity of the simulation model was confirmed by comparing to experimental results such as the arc voltage, the area of cleaning zone and the shape of weld pool.     

横向稳态磁场作用下微束等离子电弧数值分析

为分析外加横向稳态磁场作用下电弧特性与电弧对工件热、力输入的变化规律,本文建立了微束等离子电弧三维模型,将外加磁场简化为背景场添加至模型,使用有限元分析软件COMSOL进行求解计算。结果表明:外加横向稳态磁场作用下,喷嘴内部各项特性均未发生较大变化,喷嘴下方电弧等离子体在洛伦兹力的作用下向x负方向移动,电弧温度、等离子体速度与电流密度等均发生相应的偏转,因此造成电弧对工件的热输入减小、压力降低。最后在薄壁件上进行了焊接试验,试验过程中拍摄的电弧轮廓与仿真电弧形态基本一致,加磁区域堆焊层余高增加、熔宽减小,焊缝向两侧"下塌"现象消失。外加横向稳态磁场可减小电弧对熔池的热、力输入,进而改变焊缝形貌,抑制薄壁件堆焊过程中由于热、力输入过大而产生的"下塌"现象,有利于薄壁件的堆焊成形。