3D Simulation of Residual Stress Developed During TIG Welding of Stainless Steel Pipes

This paper deals with the effects of weld parameters on residual stress developed during TIG welding of pipes. Circumferential TIG welding is widely used in industries such as piping, oil refineries, power stations, etc. The 3D numerical simulation ANSYS code is used to predict the residual stress distribution developed during circumferential TIG welding. Due to non-uniform distribution of plastic and thermal strains in and around the weld pool, large amounts of residual stresses and deformations are present in all welded structures. The simulated results are validated using experimental results available in the literature. The effects of welding current and pipe thickness on residual stress and temperature fields at different locations were assessed.