Computer Simulation of Thermal Processes in Arc Welding of Thick-Walled Aluminum Alloy Structures

This paper presents the results of computer simulation of the thermal processes occurring during welding of thick-walled structures made of the AMg6 aluminium-magnesium alloy, widely used in modern industry. The model takes into account features associated with intensive heat removal from the welding zone caused by the large overall dimensions of the welded structure and the high thermal conductivity of the material used. In practice, these features increase the probability of formation of such defects as non-fusion of the weld with the base metal of the connected elements. Modeling was performed using the finite element method in the ANSYS software package. A geometric model was developed, and the bodies were divided into finite elements. For the areas with expected high temperature gradients, the finite elements in the geometric model were chosen to be much smaller than those in the areas further away from the welding zone. This increased the accuracy of the solution and significantly reduced the calculation time. The model of the heat source was constructed taking into account the gradual deposition of the weld metal as the welding arc moved along the connected edges. The simulation results confirmed the possibility of applying the available welding modes for the studied conditions.

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