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The MS was received on 30 December 2003 and was accepted after revision for publication on 2 September 2004.
DOI: 10.1243/095440505X8073
Abstract: Numerical analysis of the dynamic behaviours of a gastungsten arc (GTA) weld pool
with full penetration is of great significance to designing the process control algorithm. In this
paper, a three-dimensional transient numerical model is developed to investigate the dynamic
behaviours of a fully penetrated GTA weld pool with surface deformation. A body-fitted
coordinate system is used to transform the complex physical boundaries resulted from the
surface deformation into regular boundaries. A separated algorithm is employed to solve the
strongly coupling problems between the surface deformation, fluid flow, and heat transfer. By
using the model, the whole gastungsten arc welding (GTAW) process (including arc ignition,
weld pool formation and growth, penetration, quasi-steady state, and arc extinguishments) are
simulated, and the transient development of a three-dimensional weld pool shape and fluid
flow inside the pool are obtained. The predicted weld geometry matches the experimental
results. It provides useful basic data for the development of sensing and control systems of GTAW.
Keywords: transient behaviours, weld pool, full penetration, surface deformation, numerical
simulation
B24203 # IMechE 2005 Proc. IMechE Vol. 219 Part B: J. Engineering Manufacture
100 P C Zhao, C S Wu, and Y M Zhang
of the process under constant welding parameters where Parc is the arc pressure, is the density, g is
and a quasi-steady state, and little attention has the gravitational acceleration, is the surface tension,
been paid to the transient dynamics of the weld C1 is a constant, x q=qx, xx q2 =qx2 , xy
pool. Zacharia et al. developed a three-dimensional q2 =qx qy, and so on. At the other area of the top
transient model for the arc welding process [6], but surface, x y 0. Because the total volume of the
it either was only concerned with partial penetration weld pool is not changed before or after the surface
or did not consider the weld pool surface deformation deformation, there is the constraint
in the full penetration. Wu and Yan conducted
numerical simulation of transient development and x y dx dy 0 2
decrease in the gastungsten arc (GTA) weld pool, 1
but they assumed flat surfaces at both the front and
where 1 is the surface area of weld pool at the top
the back sides of the weld pool [7]. In fact, the weld
surface. The arc pressure can be expressed as [9, 10]
pool surfaces at both the front and the back sides
are depressed under the condition of full penetration, I2 r2
Parc 02 2 exp 2 3
and the amplitude of this depression could be 8p j 2j
considered to reflect the penetration extent. For
dynamic control, models are required to reveal how where 0 is permeability in free space, I is the welding
the process variables (weld pool geometry and sur- current, j is the current
p
distribution parameter, and
2 2
face depression) change with the welding parameters r x u0 t y , where u0 is the welding speed
(welding current and velocity). In this paper, a and t is the time.
numerical model is developed to describe the transi- For a fully penetrated weld pool [Fig. 1(b)], two
ent behaviour of a three-dimensional GTA weld pool equations are required to describe the configuration
with full penetration and surface deformation. of the top and bottom surfaces respectively, namely
Parc g C2
2 FORMULATION 1 2y xx 2x y xy 1 2x yy
4a
2.1 Surface deformation 1 2x 2y 3=2
Proc. IMechE Vol. 219 Part B: J. Engineering Manufacture B24203 # IMechE 2005
Modelling the transient behaviours of a fully penetrated GTA weld pool 101
C1 and C2 are the total sum of other forces that act found by solving equations (6) and (7). Based on the
on the weld pool surface except for arc pressure, new values of C1 and C2 , equations (1) and (4) are
gravity, and surface tension. In the calculation, C1 is solved again to obtain the improved functions
derived from equations (1) and (2) while C2 is derived x y and x y. The above procedure is repeated
from equations (4) and (5) according to until it meets the criterion of convergence and the
constraint conditions are satisfied. In addition, the
C1 dx dy functions x y and x y are calculated in Carte-
1
sian coordinates.
During the transient development of the weld pool,
Parc dx dy 1 and 2 , i.e. the action areas of the arc pressure and
surface tension, change with time. The volume of the
1
weld pool varies with time, and so does the gravity.
1 2y xx 2x y xy 1 2x yy Thus, the configurations of the weld pool surfaces
dx dy x y and x y change with time until the quasi-
1 2x 2y 3=2
1 steady state of the weld pool is achieved.
6
2.2 Governing equations
C2 dx dy dx dy A schematic sketch of a typical GTAW process system
1 2 is shown in Fig. 2. In order to describe the develop-
ment of the weld pool shape, surface deformation,
Parc dx dy thermal field, and fluid flow field, a time-dependent
1 model is required. Therefore, it is a transient problem.
For a three-dimensional transient problem, the
1 2y xx 2x y xy 1 2x yy governing equations include the energy, momentum,
dx dy
1 2x 2y 3=2 and continuity equations. Because of the surface
1
deformation, some newly added boundaries appear
at both the top and the bottom surfaces, and their
g L dx dy
positions change with time. Therefore, the calculated
2 domain is no longer a perfect cube for bead-on-plate
2 2 welding, which causes some boundary conditions
1 y xx 2 x y xy 1 x yy
dx dy that are difficult to deal with. In this study, based on
1 2 2 3=2
2
x y the Cartesian coordinate, the body-fitted coordinate
system (x y z ) is introduced [Fig. 1(b)] to trans-
7 form the deformed domain to a regular domain
according to
The iterative method is used to calculate the surface
deformation of the weld pool. Firstly, the guessed z x y
values of C1 and C2 are employed. Then x y and x x y y z
L x y x y
x y are obtained through solving equations (1)
and (4) and the improved values of C1 and C2 are 8
B24203 # IMechE 2005 Proc. IMechE Vol. 219 Part B: J. Engineering Manufacture
102 P C Zhao, C S Wu, and Y M Zhang
Proc. IMechE Vol. 219 Part B: J. Engineering Manufacture B24203 # IMechE 2005
Modelling the transient behaviours of a fully penetrated GTA weld pool 103
B24203 # IMechE 2005 Proc. IMechE Vol. 219 Part B: J. Engineering Manufacture
104 P C Zhao, C S Wu, and Y M Zhang
Proc. IMechE Vol. 219 Part B: J. Engineering Manufacture B24203 # IMechE 2005
Modelling the transient behaviours of a fully penetrated GTA weld pool 105
Value
flow field inside the pool. Figures 3(a), (b), and (c) are electrode centre-line (x 0). The penetration depth
the top surface, longitudinal section, and transverse changes slowly at first and then more rapidly than
cross-section respectively of the weld pool. The the pool width and length. Figure 6 shows the transi-
width and length of the weld pool at the top surface ent variation in the fluid flow field after the arc has
increase quickly after the arc ignition [Fig. 3(a)]. been extinguished. Because of the disappearance of
When the weld pool reaches the quasi-steady state, the arc pressure and electromagnetic forces, the
the pool geometry is kept nearly constant. When the fluid flow is driven only by the surface tension gradi-
workpiece is partially penetrated, the penetration ent and buoyancy; therefore it lasts a very short time,
depth increases with time. After the workpiece is and the amplitude of flow velocity is much lower than
fully penetrated, the lower part of the weld pool in the quasi-steady state.
expands quickly, and the expanding rate of both Experimental measurements are made to validate
pool width and pool length at the top surface slows the model. The common commercial charge-coupled
down [Fig. 3(b)]. Figure 3(c) is the cross-section of device camera combined with a special narrow-band
the weld pool 1.2 mm behind the arc centre-line. filter is used to capture the images of the weld pool
The maximum fluid velocity is at the region near during the GTAW process. Once the image of the
the electrode centre-line (x 0), and the value is weld pool captured by the camera is digitized through
0.007 m/s at t 2:0 s and 0.040 m/s at t 4:12 s. a frame grabber, it is stored in a computer as a matrix
Figure 4 demonstrates the variations in the pool in which one element represents a dot of image. A
length, width, and depth with time. For the used special image-processing algorithm has been devel-
welding conditions (workpiece, Q235; thickness, oped to extract the weld pool edges so that the weld
2 mm; arc voltage, 16 V; welding current, 110 A; weld- pool geometry of the top side is determined [21].
ing speed, 160 mm/min), the weld pool emerges at Figure 7 shows the comparison of the experimental
t 1:62 s, the workpiece is penetrated at t 2:88 s, and predicted results. It can be seen that the pre-
and the quasi-steady state is reached at t 4:20 s. dicted weld pool surface geometry generally agrees
The transient behaviours of the weld pool when the with the measured geometry except for the trailing
arc is extinguished is also calculated. This process is part. Because the latent heat is not considered in
actually the cooling and solidifying of the weld pool. the model, the calculated weld pool trail is not elon-
For the used welding conditions (workpiece, type gated. Figure 8 shows a comparison of the calculated
304 stainless steel; thickness, 3 mm; arc voltage, and experimentally observed geometries of the weld
14 V; welding current, 100 A; welding speed, pool in cross-section. The experimental and the pre-
120 mm/s), the quasi-steady state is achieved at dicted cross-section configurations of the weld are
t 4:0 s; then the arc is intentionally extinguished consistent with each other although the weld width
and both the welding current and the speed has a slight difference. Further studies are continuing
become zero. Because there is no heat input, the to improve the accuracy of simulation.
weld pool decreases very quickly. The calculation
result shows that the weld pool disappears totally at
t 4:6 s. Figure 5 illustrates the transient contraction 4 CONCLUSIONS
behaviour of the weld pool geometry at the top
surface, bottom surface, longitudinal section, and 1. A three-dimensional transient numerical model is
transverse cross-section. During the cooling process, developed to investigate the dynamic behaviours
the weld pool moves backwards relative to the of the weld pool geometry, surface deformation,
B24203 # IMechE 2005 Proc. IMechE Vol. 219 Part B: J. Engineering Manufacture
106
Fig. 3 Transient variation in the three-dimensional weld pool shape and fluid flow field (workpiece,
Q235; thickness, 2 mm; arc voltage, 16 V; welding current, 110 A; welding speed, 160 mm/min)
Fig. 4 The weld pool dimensions versus time (workpiece, Q235; thickness, 2 mm; arc voltage, 16 V;
welding current, 110 A; welding speed, 160 mm/min)
heat transfer, and fluid flow in a fully penetrated t 1.62 s, the workpiece is penetrated at
GTA weld pool. The simulation results lay the t 2:88 s, and the quasi-steady state is reached
foundation for process control of the GTAW at t 4:20 s. The maximum fluid velocity is in
process. the region near the electrode centre-line (x 0),
2. For GTAW on a low-carbon steel Q235 plate of and the value is 0.007 m/s at t 2:0 s and
2 mm thickness with an arc voltage of 16 V, a 0.040 m/s at t 4:12 s.
welding current of 110 A, and a welding speed 3. For the welding conditions used (type 304 stainless
of 160 mm/min, the weld pool emerges at steel plate with a thickness of 3 mm, a welding
Fig. 5 Transient variation in the three-dimensional shape of a weld pool after the arc has been extin-
guished (workpiece, type 304 stainless steel; thickness, 3 mm; arc voltage, 14 V; welding current,
100 A; welding speed, 120 mm/s)
B24203 # IMechE 2005 Proc. IMechE Vol. 219 Part B: J. Engineering Manufacture
108 P C Zhao, C S Wu, and Y M Zhang
current of 100 A, an arc voltage of 14 V, and a and the welding speed become zero. The transient
welding speed of 120 mm/s), the quasi-steady behaviours of the weld pool when the arc is
state is achieved at t 4:0 s; then the arc is inten- extinguished are also calculated. It is found that
tionally extinguished and both the welding current the weld pool disappears totally at t 4:6 s.
Proc. IMechE Vol. 219 Part B: J. Engineering Manufacture B24203 # IMechE 2005
Modelling the transient behaviours of a fully penetrated GTA weld pool 109
Fig. 6 Transient variation in the fluid flow field after the arc ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
has been extinguished (workpiece, type 304 stainless
steel; thickness, 3 mm; arc voltage, 14 V; welding
The authors are grateful for financial support for this
current, 100 A; welding speed, 120 mm/s)
project from the US National Science Foundation
under Grant DMI-0114982, and the National Natural
Science Foundation of China under Grant 57405131.
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Proc. IMechE Vol. 219 Part B: J. Engineering Manufacture B24203 # IMechE 2005