Grae. Reduction of Residual Stress by Ultrasonic Vibration During Welding ‘Tadashi Nishimura, Shigeru Aoki, Tetsumaro Hiroi and Seiji Hira Tokyo Metropolitan College of Technology, Japan ABSTRACT Reactor intemal attachment welds affected by stess-corrsion cracking have relatively litle applied load. Rather, the mechanical driving force for the crack propagation is primary welding residual stess. Some materials wed in reactor components sre susceptible to stesscorrosion cracking, A new process fer welding residual sess reduction is proposed in this paper. The new method is caried out using ulirasonic vibrational loading which is applied during the welding operation. The effect of uleasonic vibrational loading on reduction of the welding residual stess is confirmed by an experiment which was carried out for single-pass repair weld of steel blocks and single-pass buttovelded stcel plates. The experiment shows that application of alrasonic vibration during welding is effective In reducing the magnitude of peak stresses at the bead. INTRODUCTION In manufacturing, especially fr repair or joint, welding is vsualy used, The strong effect of residual stresses on fatigue or stress-corosion cracking is a well-recognized Phenomenon. In nuclear power plant, reactor itera. atlchment welds affected by sicess-corosion cracking have relatively litle applied load. Rather, the mechanical driving force for the erack propagation is primary welding residual stes, Some materials used in reacior components are susceptible to stesscorrosion crackirg. ‘The residual sreses ‘created in a structure by a welding operation may influence the mechanical behavior of the structure in several ways. Hence, a reduction of the residual stress caused by welding is very important (1), (21 Stress reliet may be sooomplished by a heating opestion. However, processing by ‘heat weatment requires energy. Low frequency vibratory stress relict process as been reported as effective [3], [4], Unfortunately, this process has a limitation in applicability for highly rigid components such as dies and thick plate. For repair welding of thik plates, however, itis considered tht transmission of ultrasonic vibrational load is more elfective than that of low frequency vibrational load in larger par. In this paper, the new method is catied out for welding of plate and block using ultrasonic vibrational loed which is applied during the welding operation. This i applicable to not only pate structures but also a massive structures. The advantage ofthis method is that this is simple, energy-saving and not time consuming, In particular, reduction of the ‘welding residual stesses by this method is proftuble when pos-weld sess relict is not Feasible. xass‘An experiment as carried out for single-pass repair welding of stl blocks and single-pass but-welded stel plates. Excitation frequency was chosen about 17kdHz, The residual stress distributions for several conditions of the vibration were measured using Xray diffraction techniques. The experiment shows tht application of ultrasonic vibration during welding is effective in reducing the magnitude of peak stesss atthe 2ead, REPAIR WELDING OF BLOCK. First, the effectiveness of this new process for the eduction of residual stess for repair welding of block is examined Im order to examine the reduction of residual ste in & bloc, the specimen shown in Fig. 1 is used which shows the sizeof the specimen, The specimen is made of rolled stel for general use JTS $8400). The specimen has a groove 150mm long, Smm wide and 2mm Geep atthe center. In order to eliminate residual sess induced by rolling, i was annealed at $00 for one hour and cooled in a fumace to 200. Fig2 shows the experimental set-up. The specimen is shaken by an ulirsonie vibrational oad at a fixe point at the center of specimen, 3Smm from the one end of groove. Frequency of vibrational lod is 17.8kFiz, Fig2 also shows ultrasonic vibration system. The signal from the frequency. synthesizer is amplified by « wide band amplifier. Uleasonic vibrational load is spplied by an exponential ultrasonic vibration horn excited by a ultrasonic vibrator. The specimen is welded along the groove using an automatic CO: gas shielded arc welding machine, Diameter ofthe wite is 1.2mm. Voltage is 25V and curtent is 200A. Welding is completed in one pass. The velocity is 30em/min, Residual stress is measured by removing the quenched scale chemically and using a paralleled beam X-ray diffractometer with 2 scintillation counter. The corditons of the Keay sess measurements are shawn in Table 1. Measuring locations of residual tess are shovn in Fig3. Five locations at the center of the specimen are selected, Stresses in the direction of the bead are measured. Point C ison the center of bead. Points B and D are 10mm from point C. Points A and E are 40mm from point C. Figure 4 shows the resulting residual stress. Symbols @ are the results for the Specimen without vibrational load and symbols Q are result for the specimen with Vibrational Toad. From Fig4, on the center of bead, tensile residual stress is reduced when Uultasonie vibrational loud is applied during welding. At points B and D, csidvl stress is slso reduced. At points A and E, normal residual tess tends to be compressive. 11s found that residealstess of repair welding of block can be reduced when the ‘lock is shaken by an ultasonie vibrational load. BUTT-WELDING OF THIN PLATE Next, the effectiveness of this new process for the reduction of residual stress for butt-welded thin plate is examined by experiment, Preliminary Experiment In order t0 simulate but-welding under simple conditions of residual stress, the reduction of residual stress is examined using the specimen shown in Fig. As showa in Fig, the specimen has a groove Smm wide and 2mm deep at the center. In this specimen, the residual stress in the direction of thickness is uniform. Fig6 shows the expermental set-up. ‘The specimen is hold onto the supporting device and shaken by ultrasonic vibrational load at fixed point at the center of specimen, 110mm from the center of grocve. Fig.6 also x256shows ultrasonic vibration system. Vibrational load is applied in the direction of heating ‘The specimen is welded along the groove, The velocity of the welding is 30emnin. Welding is completed in one pass. Measuring locations of residual stress are shown in Fig.7. Five locations atthe centr of the specimen are selected. Stresses in the direction of the bead are measured, Point C is fn the bead. Points B and D are 10mm from the bead, Points And E are SOmm from the bead Figure 8 shows the results of residual stress, Symbols @ are the results for the specimen without vibrational load and symbols are results for the specimen with vibrational load. From Fig, on the bead, tensile residual sess is significantly reduced ‘when ultrasonic vibrational load is applied during welding. At points B and D, residual sires is also reduced. At points A and E, the compressive residul stress is almost same, [Experiment of Thin Plates [Next, two plates are butt-welded. Figure 9 shows the size ofthe specimen, Two plates are hold onto the supporting devices and shaken by ultrasonic vibratonal load during welding. ‘The groove is V-shaped. Welding is completed in one pass. The root opening is Imm and the groove angle is 30 degrees. Conditions of welding is same as the experiment wsing the specimen shown in Fig. Measuring locations of residual stress ate shown in Fig. Five locations atthe center of the specimen are selected. Streies in the direction of the bead are measured. Point C is on the bead. Points B and D are 10mm from the bea, Points A and E are SOmm from the bead Figure 10 shows the resulting residual stress. From Fig.10, on the bead, the tensile residual sess is significantly reduced when ultrasonic vibratioasl load is applied during ‘welding, At points B and D, the residual stress is also reduced. At poins A and E, the tensile residual stess i almost same tis obvious that when the specimens are shaken by ultrasonic vibrational load during residual stress on and nea the bead can be reduced for but-welded thin plates. EXPERIMENT FOR INDUCTION HEATING In order to examine reduction of residual stress caused by induction heating, a specimen of the same size as shown in Fig. but without the groove is used. Vibrational load is applied in the direction of heating. Specimen is heated at center using a high frequency heating machine. The spocimen is moved in the longitudinal direction with a constant velocity. ‘Table 2 shows the conditions of heating. Residual stesses are measured at 5 points as shown in Fig11 in the direction of motion or heating Figure 12 shows selected resuls. Cicles show the residual stress of the specimen ‘without vibrational loid, Triangles show stresses with ultrsoric vibrational load. Since the specimen is a block and heated slowly, the compressive residual sires is created, In general, residual sires is reduced when ultrasonic vibrational load is used, Residual ‘tresses are reduced at points B and D 10mm fom the center when ultrasonic vibrational load is used Ie is concluded when the specimens ae shaken by ultrasonic vibrational load during induction heating residual sess ean be reduced. CONCLUSIONS ‘A.new reduction method of residual stress where welded metals are shaken by ultrasonic xastvibrational load during welding is proposed. Effectiveness of this method is examined for repair welding of block and but-welding of thin plate, The expérimeat shows. that application of ulteasonie vibrational load during welding is effective in reducing the magnitude of peak stresses is reported when ultrasonic vibration is applied during static testing, the static flow stress decreases 5]. The mechanism of stress rediction is qualitatively consitered to result from the effects of superimposition of stess and activation of dislocation in a materiel Which is induced by aplication of ultrasonic vibration. REFERENCES 1, American Society of Metals, 1983, "Metals Handbook," pp-856-895 2 Donko, 1C:, 1989, "A Review of Weld Residual Stresses in Austenitic Stainless Stel Piping. -Recent Trends in Welding Science and Technology." Proceeding of the 2nd Intemational Conference on Trends in Welding Research, ASM Intematicnl, Materials Park, OH, pp.113-118, 3, Gnisss, G, 1988, "Vibration and Vibratory Stess Relief. Historical Development, ‘Theory and Practical Application,” Welding in the Worl, Vol.26, No.11/12,9p4-8 4, Aoki, S. and Nishimura, T., 1997, "Reduction of Residual Suess for Welding Joint Using Vibrational Loud,” Trans. of International Conference on Siructral Mechanics in Reactor Technology, BLDW/I4, pp385-392 Proceedings of the ‘Thicd Asian-Pcific Conference on Computational Mechanics, Vol.L, p.129-138. 5, Hassea, Land Tholen, A, 1978, "Plasticity due o superimposed macrosoic and static strains," Ultrasonics, Marc, p.57-64 ‘Table 1 Conditions for X-ray measurement ‘Characters a ke Diffraction plane a-FeGi) Fille ‘Vanadium Fil ‘Siress determination Sin’ method Irradiated area 2xémm' “Tube volte and current | 30Ks, mA. ‘Sean condition of 20 | Step sunning ‘Divergence angle shi —{_10" Peske determination Half valve widih method ‘Table 2 Condition of heating | ET DC-curent 0A Maximum heating rte 300 is Moving velocity of specimen | 2em/min [Clearance distance mm. [Output freavene ZOUK xasepe of specimen for rept welding Beas L, 3 Sate a 3 ge ry Eg gp if f so so 1 ~ 0 3% & tata ig:3 Measuring locations of residual stress ae Fig Rosdal stress in ta block repair weldingod —_ a at 4 x my Fig Shape of specimen with groove Tom] Figs Experimental setap ; i Fig.7 Measuring locations of residual stress matt eto Fig Residual stess inst thin plate with groove x008 fede — Fig Shape of specimen for but-welding Fancy al cet Fig 10 Residual ses in but- welded steel plate i t a en | sa e cae Fig12 Residual stress in steel block ‘caused by induction heating