Experimental Finite Element Analysis of Temperature Distribution During Arc Welding

Analysis of temperatures and associated cooling rates that arise during welding is essential in determining the final mechanical properties and load carrying capacity of the weldment. Due to the complexity of the fundamental thermal equations and the heat distribution, as well as latent heat effects, numerical techniques have been developed in recent years for weld temperature analysis. However, the higher temperature gradients in the vicinity of the weld pool require a highly refined mesh that results in extensive computation time using conventional numerical techniques. We developed a moving finite element grid with an adaptation scheme that permits mesh refinement only in the required regions, thereby achieving a more efficient computation for a desired accuracy. The numerical simulation results for a 2-dimensional analysis correlate well with temperature measurements made with thermocouples for the welding conditions used in the analysis.