Simulation on Temperature Field of Friction Stir Welding of 2A14 Aluminum Alloy Based on Equivalent Film Method

Abstract:

Backing plate has an important influence on the temperature field of workpiece during the friction stir welding process. In order to predict the temperature field of workpiece accurately, a thermal-fluid coupled friction stir welding calculation model including workpiece and backing plate was developed. In the model, an equivalent film method was proposed to simplify the contact heat transfer between workpiece and backing plate to a heat conduction problem. The computational fluid dynamic software FLUENT was ultilized to simulate the friction stir welding process of 2A14 aluminum alloy. As a result, the steady-state temperature field during the friction stir welding process was predicted and analyzed. The welding process test was carried out to verify the simulation results of temperature field. The compared results show that the simulated temperature and the measured values of all measuring points are in good agreement. Using the simulation method proposed in this paper, the calculation accuracy of temperature field during the friction stir welding process could be relatively high and the maximum error is 4.61%. In addition, there is a good corresponding relationship between the temperature distribution and the various regions of weld cross section.

• Periodical: Key Engineering Materials (Volume 723)
• Pages: 62-67
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.4028/www.scientific.net/KEM.723.62
• Online since: December 2016
• Authors: Zhi Zhu*, Min Wang, Hui Jie Zhang, Xiao Zhang, Tao Yu, Guang Xin Yang
• Keywords: 2A14 Aluminum Alloy, Backing Plate, Contact Heat Transfer, Friction Stir Welding, Numerical Simulation, Temperature Field

References

[1] Y. J. Chao, X. Qi, W. Tang, Heat transfer in friction stir welding-experimental and numerical studies, J. Manuf. Sci. Eng. 125 (2003) 138-145.

DOI: 10.1115/1.1537741

[2] M. Song, R. Kovacevic, Numerical and experimental study of the heat transfer process in friction stir welding, J. Eng. Manuf. 217 (2003) 73-85.

[3] C. Hamilton, S. Dymek, A. Sommers, A thermal model of friction stir welding in aluminum alloys, Int. J. Mach. Tools Manuf. 48 (2008) 1120-1130.

DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmachtools.2008.02.001

[4] Q. Y. Shi, X. B. Wang, X. Kang, et al, Temperature fields during friction stir welding, J. Tsinghua University (Science and Technology). 50 (2010) 980-983, 988.

[5] H. Su, C. S. Wu, A. Pittner, et al, Thermal energy generation and distribution in friction stir welding of aluminum alloys, Energ. 77 (2013) 720-731.

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2014.09.045

[6] H. Schmidt, J. Hattel, J. Wert, An analytical model for the heat generation in friction stir welding, Model. Simulat. Mater. Sci. Eng. 12 (2004) 143-157.

DOI: 10.1088/0965-0393/12/1/013

[7] R. Nandan, G. G. Roy, T. J. Lienert, et al, Three-dimensional heat and material flow during friction stir welding of mild steel, Acta Mater. 55 (2007) 883-895.

DOI: 10.1016/j.actamat.2006.09.009

[8] P. A. Colegrove, H. R. Shercliff, CFD modelling of friction stir welding of thick plate 7449 aluminium alloy, Sci. Tech. Weld. Join. 11 (2006) 429-441.

DOI: 10.1179/174329306x107700

[9] L. P. Zhao, L. Xu, Z. C. Li, et al, Mechanism and application research on thermal contact heat transfer between solid interfaces, Cryog. 4 (2000) 29-34.

[10] D. C. Zhu, L. W. Zhang, J. B. Pei, et al, Experimental research of influence factors on solid interface thermal contact conductance coefficient, Forg. Stamp. Tech. 33 (2008) 139-143.

[11] G. Q. Chen, Q. Y. Shi, Y. J. Li, et al, Computational fluid dynamics studies on heat generation during friction stir welding of aluminum alloy, Comput. Mater. Sci. 79 (2013) 540-546.

DOI: 10.1016/j.commatsci.2013.07.004

[12] T. Sheppard, A. Jackson, Constitutive equations for use in prediction of flow stress during extrusion of aluminum alloys, Mater. Sci. Tech. 13 (1997) 203-209.

DOI: 10.1179/mst.1997.13.3.203