Prediction of Temperature Distribution in FSW

Abstract

Accurate modeling Friction-Stir Welding (FSW) would allow for better understanding of material flow and temperature distribution during the process. This is important in terms of the optimization of the process parameters in order to avoid the conditions that generate defects in FSW. However, the numerical simulation of the process is challenging due to the numerous complexities involved in FSW. It is a fully coupled thermo-mechanical problem that includes large plastic deformation, heat flow, nonlinear contact and friction. The main goal of this thesis is to accurately model the temperature distribution and void formation during the FSW process using the FE software ABAQUS™ which is capable of handling the dynamic explicit solution of such a fully coupled thermo-mechanical process. Coupled Eulerian Lagrangian (CEL) formulation has been adopted in the model due to its ability to accurately model the temperature field and material flow around the moving pin. The main process parameters that affect the quality of the welds including the welding speed, rotational speed, cooling rate and tool geometry have been considered in the simulation. The validation of the finite element model was performed by comparing the simulated plate temperature results with those measured experimentally.

Date of Award	Dec 2016
Original language	American English
Supervisor	Firas Jarrar (Supervisor)