Numerical Analysis of Thermal Stresses During Welding Including Phase Transformation Effects

Abstract

The problem of determining temperature distributions, transient thermal strains, and residual stresses during butt welding thick plates with the multipass GMAW process is solved using the finite element method. First, a nonlinear heat transfer analysis is performed taking into account the temperature dependence of the material properties, and convection and radiation surface heat losses. This is followed by a thermo-elastic-plastic stress analysis that incorporates phase transformation strains. Finally, the theoretical predictions are compared with experimentally obtained data showing good correlation.