Journals Proceedings

Abstract

Process welding simulation is a useful tool for investigation of heat transfer, temperature field distribution, melted pool dynamics, cooling rate and, further, prediction of microstructure changes in the welded joint. The high temperature reached in the fusion zone and heat affected zone can cause phase transformations and alteration of the mechanical properties produced in the parent metal. Given the great influence of heat transfer, an accurate evaluation of temperature field generated by the welding processes is needed, in order to properly predict the base material behaviour, such as microstructure evolution, stress analysis and, finally, the quality level of the welded joint. The paper presents a detailed investigation of temperature field distribution in the case of Tandem Submerged Arc Welding (TSAW) process applied to join plates of pipeline steel. A 3D numerical model was developed and experimentally validated by comparing the thermal cycles achieved through finite element analysis and temperature history recorded by the temperature monitoring system developed by the authors and described in the research methodology.