A one-dimensional spot welding model

[摘要] A one-dimensional model is proposed for the simulations of resistance spotwelding, which is a common industrial method used to join metallic plates by electricalheating. The model consists ofthe Stefan problem, in enthalpy form, coupledwiththe equation of charge conservation for the electrical potential. The temperaturedependence of the density, thermal conductivity, specific heat, and electricalconductivity are taken into account, since the process generally involves a largetemperature range, on the order of 1000 K. The model is general enough toallow for the welding of plates of different thicknesses or dissimilar materials andto account for variations in the Joule heating through the materialthickness due to the dependence of electrical resistivity on thetemperature. A novel feature in the model is the inclusion of the effects of interfaceresistance between the plates which is also assumed tobe temperature dependent.In addition to constructing the model, a finite difference scheme for its numericalapproximations is described, and representative computer simulations are depicted.These describe welding processes involving different interface resistances,different thicknesses, different materials, and different voltage forms.The differences in the process due to AC or DC currents are depicted as well.

[学科分类] 应用数学