阅读说明：本技术 不锈钢应用的焊接波形 (Welding waveform for stainless steel applications ) 是由 特雷沙·A·梅尔菲 纳撒尼尔·P·迈克维克尔 于 2017-06-28 设计创作，主要内容包括：本申请涉及不锈钢应用的焊接波形。利用特定的AC焊接波形将奥氏体不锈钢的韧性水平增加至使用相同的焊接耗材利用标准DC焊接波形所实现的韧性水平之上。(The present application relates to welding waveforms for stainless steel applications. Utilizing a particular AC welding waveform increases the toughness level of austenitic stainless steels above that achieved with standard DC welding waveforms using the same welding consumables.)

1. A submerged arc welding method comprising the steps of:

providing a submerged arc welding system, wherein the submerged arc welding system comprises:

a welding power supply that generates a welding output having an AC welding output current;

a welding torch coupled to the welding power supply to receive the welding output from the welding power supply;

a wire feeder;

an L-grade stainless steel welding electrode delivered by the wire feeder to the welding torch;

a submerged arc welding flux delivery system; and

a controller coupled to the welding power supply and controlling the welding power supply to generate the welding output to the welding torch according to a welding waveform;

forming a weld on a stainless steel workpiece by the submerged arc welding system, wherein the weld is formed using the L-grade stainless steel welding electrode and is suitable for cryogenic applications, has a toughness of greater than 40 foot pounds at-320 DEG F,

wherein the AC welding output current is biased towards a DC negative pole such that the welding output has a negative effect of less than 100 according to equation # 1;

wherein:

b is the percentage of time that the L-grade stainless steel welding electrode is positively charged;

I_p,pa peak current that is the electrode positive polarity of the welding output;

I_p,nis the peak (absolute) current of the electrode negative polarity of the welding output;

V_p,pa peak voltage of the electrode positive polarity of the welding output; and

V_p,nis the peak (absolute) voltage of the electrode negative polarity of the welding output.

2. A submerged arc welding process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the negative effect is in the range of-700 to 100.

3. A submerged arc welding process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the negative effect is in the range of-700 to 0.

4. A submerged arc welding process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the negative effect is in the range of-100 to 100.

5. A submerged arc welding process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the negative effect is in the range of-100 to 0.

6. A submerged arc welding process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the negative effect is in the range of-80 to 80.

7. A submerged arc welding process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the negative effect is in the range of-80 to 0.

8. A submerged arc welding process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the L-grade stainless steel welding electrode has a ferrite number between 6 and 10.

9. A submerged arc welding method comprising the steps of:

providing a submerged arc welding system, wherein the submerged arc welding system comprises:

a welding power supply that generates a welding output having a first welding output portion and a second welding output portion, wherein the first welding output portion has an AC welding output current;

a welding torch coupled to the welding power supply to receive the welding output from the welding power supply;

a wire feeder;

an L-grade stainless steel welding electrode delivered by the wire feeder to the welding torch;

a submerged arc welding flux delivery system; and

a controller coupled to the welding power supply and controlling the welding power supply to generate the welding output to the welding torch according to a welding waveform;

forming a weld on a stainless steel workpiece by the submerged arc welding system, wherein the weld is formed using the L-grade stainless steel welding electrode and is suitable for cryogenic applications, has a toughness of greater than 40 foot pounds at-320 DEG F,

wherein the AC welding output current is biased to a DC negative pole such that the welding output has a negative effect in a range of-700 to 100 according to equation # 1;

wherein:

b is the percentage of time that the L-grade stainless steel welding electrode is positively charged;

I_p,pa peak current that is the electrode positive polarity of the welding output;

I_p,nis the peak (absolute) current of the electrode negative polarity of the welding output;

V_p,pa peak voltage of the electrode positive polarity of the welding output; and

V_p,nis the peak (absolute) voltage of the negative polarity of the electrode of the welding output, and

wherein the first weld output portion is in a range of 35% to 95% of a total duration of the weld output.

10. A submerged arc welding process as claimed in claim 9, wherein the negative effect is in the range-700 to 0.

11. A submerged arc welding process as claimed in claim 9, wherein the negative effect is in the range of-100 to 100.

12. A submerged arc welding process as claimed in claim 9, wherein the negative effect is in the range of-100 to 0.

13. A submerged arc welding process as claimed in claim 9, wherein the negative effect is in the range-80 to 80.

14. A submerged arc welding process as claimed in claim 9, wherein the negative effect is in the range-80 to 0.

15. A submerged arc welding process as claimed in claim 9, wherein the L-grade stainless steel welding electrode has a ferrite number between 6 and 10.

16. The submerged arc welding method of claim 9, wherein the first welding output portion is in a range of 45% to 85% of the total duration of the welding output.

17. A submerged arc welding method comprising the steps of:

providing a submerged arc welding system, wherein the submerged arc welding system comprises:

a welding power supply that generates a welding output having an AC welding output current;

a welding torch coupled to the welding power supply to receive the welding output from the welding power supply;

a wire feeder;

an L-grade stainless steel welding electrode delivered to the welding torch by the wire feeder, wherein the L-grade stainless steel welding electrode has a ferrite number between 6 and 10;

a submerged arc welding flux delivery system; and

a controller coupled to the welding power supply and controlling the welding power supply to generate the welding output to the welding torch according to a welding waveform;

forming a weld on a stainless steel workpiece by the submerged arc welding system, wherein the weld is formed using the L-grade stainless steel welding electrode and is suitable for cryogenic applications, has a toughness of greater than 40 foot pounds at-320 DEG F,

wherein the AC welding output current is biased to a DC negative pole such that the welding output has a negative effect in a range of-700 to 100 according to equation # 1;

wherein:

b is the percentage of time that the L-grade stainless steel welding electrode is positively charged;

I_p,pa peak current that is the electrode positive polarity of the welding output;

I_p,nis the peak (absolute) current of the electrode negative polarity of the welding output;

V_p,pa peak voltage of the electrode positive polarity of the welding output; and

V_p,nis the output of the weldingThe peak (absolute) voltage of the negative polarity of the electrode.

18. A submerged arc welding process as claimed in claim 17, wherein the negative effect is in the range-700 to 0.

19. A submerged arc welding process as claimed in claim 17, wherein the negative effect is in the range of-100 to 100.

20. A submerged arc welding process as claimed in claim 17, wherein the negative effect is in the range-80 to 80.

Technical Field

The invention described herein relates generally to a method for welding stainless steel.

Background

The modern world may be less able to develop steel than any other technological advancement. It is actually obvious that we call the whole era in terms of metallurgical capacity (i.e. bronze era, ironware era, etc.). Over the past century, steel research and production has created steels that are strong and hard at high power generation type temperatures, while still being relatively poor steels (1.25 weight-% chromium, 0.5 weight-% molybdenum) as well as ferritic steels. On the other hand, the low temperature effect is a weak point of ordinary carbon steel and low alloy steel. Suitable low alloy steels that can withstand cryogenic temperatures with sufficient crack resistance (toughness) have not yet been developed. Such alloys may even be infeasible because the ferritic crystalline phase undergoes a ductile to brittle transition at low temperatures that depends on the alloy system. Therefore, stainless steels and nickel-based steels having predominantly austenitic crystalline phases are used for low temperature applications. Often, welding and manufacturing specifications require specialized austenitic stainless steels that ensure a low ferrite percentage in the weld deposit by tightly controlling the weld metal composition.

At present, submerged arc welding is one of the most productive methods for arc welding stainless steel, but the toughness of nominally matched submerged arc welding metals is generally much lower (especially at these low temperatures) than that of the base material. This requires part and container designers to make design compromises to accommodate these lower toughness welds. This also requires the manufacturer to purchase expensive consumables in very strict chemical composition. Further, manufacturers must strictly control their welding procedures to obtain adequate toughness levels.

There is a ferrite number requirement for austenitic stainless steel filler metals as listed in ASME bpvc.viii.1-2015UHA-51(a) (3) (-a) (-1) because the toughness of austenitic stainless steels at cryogenic temperatures is sensitive to the ferrite content when using conventional welding processes. However, submerged arc welding of 316L filler metal with the stainless steel waveform of the present invention demonstrates equivalent to superior toughness when welding with a conventional 316L electrode using a modified waveform, as compared to welding with a more expensive controlled ferrite count electrode (such as 316LCF using conventional DC welding).

Disclosure of Invention

According to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a submerged arc welding system is described, comprising: a welding power source that generates a welding output for performing a welding process on stainless steel, the welding output having at least one of a welding output current or a welding output voltage according to an AC welding waveform; a controller that controls the welding power source to generate the welding output with a desired negative effect (see equation 1) as a function of the welding waveform. In an exemplary embodiment, the desired weld effect is less than 100. However, in other exemplary embodiments, the negative effect may be negative (e.g., it may be in the range of-100 to 100). In further exemplary embodiments, the negative effect may be in the range of-100 to 0. Additionally, embodiments of the present invention may be used in high current welding operations (such as 1,000 amps), and in such embodiments, the negative effect may be in the range of-700 to 100, and in further embodiments may be in the range of-700 to 0. In further exemplary embodiments, the negative effect is in the range of-80 to 80, and in other embodiments, the welding effect is in the range of-80 to 0. This range can provide significantly improved mechanical properties when welding in the range of 300 to 400 amps in SAW type welding applications.

Further disclosed is an exemplary method of welding, for example, with a submerged arc welding system, wherein a higher ferrite number electrode having a ferrite number between 5 and 10 (including 5 and 10) is used to weld stainless steel for low temperature applications as if it were a lower controlled ferrite number electrode having a ferrite number less than 5, the method comprising the steps of: providing a workpiece made of stainless steel to be welded for use in cryogenic applications; providing a welding power source that generates a welding output having at least one of a welding output current and a welding output voltage according to a non-standard AC welding waveform; providing a controller that controls the welding power source to generate the welding output according to the welding waveform, wherein the welding output has a negative effect of less than 100; and welding the workpiece using the welding waveform, the resulting weld having a toughness greater than 40 foot pounds at-320 ° f (-195.6 ℃) using submerged arc flux and a 308L or 316L electrode having a ferrite count of 10 or less.

The present application also includes the following:

1) an arc welding system, comprising:

a welding power supply that generates a welding output for performing a welding process on stainless steel, the welding output having an AC welding output current; and

a controller coupled to the welding power source, controlling the welding power source to generate the welding output, wherein a polarity balance of the AC welding output current is biased towards DC negative and has a negative effect of less than 100 according to equation # 1;

equation 1

Wherein:

b ═ percentage of time that the electrode was positively charged;

I_p,ppeak current in the positive electrode region;

I_p,npeak (absolute) current for the negative electrode region;

V_p,ppeak voltage of the positive electrode region; and

V_p,nthe peak (absolute) voltage of the negative electrode region.

2) The system of claim 1), wherein the negative effect is in the range of-700 to 100.

3) The system of 1), wherein the negative effect is in the range of-700 to 0.

4) The system of claim 1), wherein the negative effect is in the range of-100 to 100.

5) The system of 1), wherein the negative effect is in the range of-100 to 0.

6) The system of claim 1), wherein the negative effect is in the range of-80 to 80.

7) The system of 1), wherein the negative effect is in the range of-80 to 0.

8) The system of 1), wherein the welding output is a submerged arc welding output.

9) An arc welding system, comprising:

a welding power supply that generates a welding output for performing a welding process on stainless steel, the welding output having a first welding output portion and a second welding output portion, wherein the first output portion has an AC welding output current; and

a controller coupled to the welding power source, controlling the welding power source to generate the welding output, wherein a polarity balance of the AC welding output current is biased towards DC negative and has a negative effect in a range of-700 to 100 according to equation # 1;

equation 1

Wherein:

b ═ percentage of time that the electrode was positively charged;

I_p,ppeak current in the positive electrode region;

I_p,npeak (absolute) current for the negative electrode region;

V_p,ppeak voltage of the positive electrode region; and

V_p,nthe peak (absolute) voltage of the negative electrode region, and

wherein the first portion is in a range of 35% to 95% of a total duration of the welding output.

10) The system of 9), wherein the first portion is in a range of 45% to 85% of the total duration of the welding output.

11) A method of arc welding comprising the steps of:

generating a welding output from a welding power source, wherein the welding output has an AC welding output current;

controlling the welding output such that a polarity balance of the AC welding output current is biased towards a DC negative pole; and

controlling the welding output such that at least a portion of the AC welding output current has a negative effect of less than 100 according to equation # 1:

equation 1

Wherein:

b ═ percentage of time that the electrode was positively charged;

I_p,ppeak current in the positive electrode region;

I_p,npeak (absolute) current for the negative electrode region;

V_p,ppeak voltage of the positive electrode region; and

V_p,nthe peak (absolute) voltage of the negative electrode region.

12) The method of 11), wherein the negative effect is in the range of-700 to 100.

13) The method of 11), wherein the negative effect is in the range of-700 to 0.

14) The method of 11), wherein the negative effect is in the range of-100 to 100.

15) The method of 11), wherein the negative effect is in the range of-100 to 0.

16) The method of 11), wherein the negative effect is in the range of-80 to 80.

17) The method of 11), wherein the negative effect is in the range of-80 to 0.

18) The method of 11), wherein the welding output is a submerged arc welding output.

19) The method of 11), wherein the portion is in a range of 35% to 95% of a total duration of the welding output.

20) The method of 11), wherein the portion is in a range of 45% to 85% of the total duration of the welding output.

Drawings

The invention may take physical form in certain parts and arrangement of parts, the preferred embodiment of which will be described in detail in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and wherein:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatical representation of an exemplary submerged arc welding system;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of a Schaeffler diagram;

FIG. 3 is a diagrammatical representation of an exemplary embodiment of a welding waveform of the present welding system;

FIG. 4 is a diagrammatical representation of another exemplary embodiment of a welding waveform of the present welding system;

FIG. 5 is a diagrammatical representation of a graph of another exemplary embodiment of a welding waveform of the present welding system;

FIG. 6 is a graphical representation of a graph showing the relationship of the negative effect on weld energy absorption when using a 316L electrode;

FIG. 7 is a graphical representation of a graph showing the relationship of the negative effect on weld energy absorption when using a 316LCF electrode;

FIG. 8 is a diagrammatic representation of a Suutala diagram;

FIG. 9 is a graphical representation of a plot of lateral expansion (mm) versus ferrite number;

FIG. 10 is a graphical representation of a plot of lateral expansion (mm) versus Charpy energy (J);

FIG. 11 is a graphical representation of a plot of lateral expansion (mm) versus ferrite number; and

FIG. 12 is a graphical representation of deposition rates of a conventional process as compared to the example processes described herein.

Detailed Description

Exemplary embodiments of the system and method of the present invention will now be described. The examples and figures are illustrative only and not meant to be limiting of the invention, which is measured by the scope and spirit of the claims. In particular, while exemplary embodiments of the invention described herein are discussed in the context of submerged arc welding systems, those discussions are exemplary as embodiments of the invention may be used with other known welding systems (such as GMAW, GTAW, etc.) without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. In particular, the discussion of the following embodiments using submerged arc welding systems is intended to be exemplary, rather than limiting, and other systems (the operation and construction of which are well known) that may employ embodiments of the present invention need not be described herein for efficiency.

As defined herein, the "negative effect" shown in equation 1 represents an aggregate negative bias of a single waveform, taking into account the effects of current and voltage, its peak amplitude, and the time spent in the positive and negative charge regions.

Equation 1

Wherein:

b-percentage of time that electrode is positively charged

I_p,pPeak current of positive electrode region

I_p,nPeak (absolute) current of negative electrode region

V_p,pPeak voltage of positive electrode region

V_p,nPeak value of negative electrode region (absolute)To) voltage

Stainless steel is an engineering material that can meet a wide range of design criteria. It exhibits excellent corrosion resistance, strength at high temperatures, toughness at low temperatures and manufacturing characteristics, and it is selected for a wide range of consumer, commercial and industrial applications. In the manufacture of stainless steel products, components or equipment, manufacturers employ welding as the primary joining method. Stainless steel is a weldable material and welded joints may provide optimal corrosion resistance, strength, and manufacturing economy.

By definition, stainless steel is an iron-based alloy containing 10% or more of chromium, which imparts corrosion resistance, and stainless steel is so highly valued for that. The chromium content may be increased and other alloying elements added or adjusted to meet specific end use or manufacturing requirements. During welding of stainless steel, the temperature of the base metal adjacent to the weld reaches a level at which microstructural transformation occurs. The extent to which these changes occur and their effect on the finished weldment in terms of corrosion resistance and mechanical properties depends on the alloy content, thickness, filler material, joint design, welding method, and welder skill.

The microstructure of the weld metal strongly affects the susceptibility to solidification cracking. Weld metals having a fully austenitic microstructure are much more susceptible to conditions that promote solidification cracking than weld metals containing some delta ferrite or free ferrite in the austenitic matrix. Therefore, austenitic welded structures containing ferrite are used wherever possible. The schaeffler plot is used to determine if a given weld metal composition will contain delta ferrite and determine the approximate percentage. With respect to how much ferrite is needed in a weld deposit to prevent cracking, according to the Welding Research Council (Welding Research Council), both ASME and NRC have adopted the following strategy: a minimum of 5 FN of welding consumables for use in nuclear operations and a minimum of 3 FN for preventing solidification cracking in any multi-pass welding. Higher chromium as illustrated in fig. 8_{Equivalent weight}Nickel/nickel alloy_{Equivalent weight}The value is equivalent to a higher FN number. Thus, utilizing higher ferrite electrode movement with the present invention moves away from ∞ shown in Suutala diagram1.5 chromium_{Equivalent weight}Nickel/nickel alloy_{Equivalent weight}The cracking threshold of (1).

The present invention relates to welding stainless steel for cryogenic applications using submerged arc welding ("SAW") and other types of welding methodologies. That is, embodiments of the present invention employ a method of generating the heat required to melt metal from an electrical current passed between a welding wire (solid metal or cored) and a workpiece. As is generally known, in submerged arc welding the tip of a welding wire, the arc and the workpiece welding area are covered with a layer of granular mineral flux. There is no visible arcing and no sparks and spatters. The welding flux is continuously fed through the hopper tube and distributes itself continuously over the gap a short distance in front of the welding zone, where some of the welding flux melts to form a slag cover. The solder protects the solder pad from the atmosphere. A small amount of flux melted. This molten portion serves several functions. The molten portion completely covers the top surface of the weld, preventing atmospheric gases from contaminating the metal and removing impurities from the molten steel by binding with the impurities and floating to the surface. The interaction of the molten flux with the weld pool may also be a medium for adding certain alloying elements to the weld.

Fig. 1 depicts an exemplary submerged arc welding system 100. Because the structure, construction, and operation of submerged arc welding systems are well known, they will not be discussed in detail herein. Similarly, because other systems (such as GMAWs, GTAWs, etc.) are well known, they will not be discussed in detail herein. As shown in FIG. 1, system 100 includes a power source 110, which may be any known type of power source that may be used in a submerged arc welding or other welding process. The power supply 110 may use power converter components (such as rectifiers, boost circuits, buck-boost or buck circuits, PWM, inverters, etc.) to convert input power (such as from a utility grid) into an output welding waveform having a current and voltage for welding. This generated welding signal is output for the welding operation via a weld cable, a welding torch, or the like. The construction, design, and operation of such welding power sources are well known and need not be described in detail herein. The power supply may have a built-in (or may be coupled to) control system 120 that controls and/or regulates the operation of the power supply 110. For clarity, the control system 120 is shown as a separate component in fig. 1, however, the control system 120 may be built into the power supply 110 as is known. The operation and configuration of the control system 120 is well known and may include a CPU, controller, etc. that controls the power supply 110 to provide a suitable or desired welding output. That is, the control system 120 may be coupled to a power output component (such as a PWM or inverter that shapes and outputs a welding signal according to a desired waveform). Control systems, such as the types described herein, are well known and their use and operation need not be described in detail herein. The control system 120 is also coupled to a wire feeder 140 (of known construction) that feeds consumables/wire 131 from a source 130. The wire 131 is provided to a welding torch 150 of known construction that sends a welding current/signal to the wire 131 for the welding operation. In a submerged arc welding operation, welding flux is provided via a flux hopper system 160. The system 100 shown in fig. 1 is intended to be an exemplary representation of the welding system of the present invention, and of course, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that other welding systems and system configurations may be used with exemplary embodiments of the present invention. For example, a flux recovery system may be employed, which may be a GTAW or GMAW type system, among others. Additionally, the control and operation of the exemplary welding systems described herein are known and within the skill of the art. For example, it is known for a control system to receive and utilize feedback from a welding operation as well as user input information, and to use this information to control the welding output of the power source to provide a desired waveform. Because of this, the construction and operation of the control system 120 need not be described in detail herein. For example, the known control system 120 may have a user interface (for input of welding parameters), a controller, a CPU, memory, and the like. These components are used to control the output of the welding waveform as desired and to achieve the desired negative effects as more fully described herein.

Again, while embodiments of the present invention may be used with different types of welding operations, the following examples will be discussed with reference to submerged arc welding. One difference between submerged arc welding and other processes for welding stainless steel is the degree of difference. Submerged arc welding may use higher heat input than other processes and have lower solidification and cooling characteristics. In submerged arc welding, a welding head (e.g., torch 150 in fig. 1) is used to perform three functions: progressively depositing metal along the weld groove, feeding wire into the weld zone, and delivering welding current to the welding wire. The flux is supplied from a hopper mounted directly on the head or connected to the head by a tube. Bare wire or core electrodes are fed into the welding head in straight lengths, either from coils or rods mounted on a rod spool or from a payoff package.

The composition range of austenitic stainless steels as a whole and three of the most popular austenitic stainless steel alloys: 308L, 309L, and 316L are shown in Table I.

TABLE I

As the demand for liquefied natural gas ("LNG") rises, the construction of LNG facilities is growing worldwide. Various materials, including austenitic stainless steels, are selected to withstand the heavy conditions of use. Construction and manufacture of LNG facilities will inevitably involve welded plumbing, typically comprising 304L or 316L austenitic stainless steels, which will be used below-160 ℃ or subjected to design temperatures as low as-196 ℃. Unlike lower alloy ferritic steels, which exhibit a severe and temperature-dependent ductile to brittle transition, 304L and 316L are among the most widely used corrosion resistant alloys and have the benefits of natural toughness and resistance to catastrophic brittle failure at the lowest temperatures. 304L are typically welded with 308L of filler metal and 316L are typically welded with 316L of filler metal.

The ferrite number and content contribute to the toughness of 308L and 316L weld metals, where the general trend shows that up to a certain point as ferrite grows, the toughness decreases. Figure 2 illustrates a basic schaeffler diagram in which the austenite morphology phase stabilizer is illustrated by the equivalent nickel formulation plotted on the ordinate of the graph, while the ferrite stabilizer is illustrated by the equivalent chromium formulation plotted on the abscissa of the graph. Ferrite is important to avoid solidification cracking during welding of the cooled austenitic stainless steel. The "composition diagram" is used to predict the ferrite level in the composition by comparing the effects of austenite stabilizing elements and ferrite stabilizing elements. The schaeffler and Delong plots are the original methods to predict phase equilibrium in austenitic stainless steel welds.

The "nickel equivalent" of the austenite stabilizing element and the "chromium equivalent" of the ferrite stabilizing element were calculated. These equivalents serve as axes of the graph which exhibit a compositional equivalent area in which phase austenite, ferrite, martensite (and mixtures thereof) should be present. The following formulations were used for nickel and chromium equivalents:

nickel (II)_(equivalent)(ii) nickel + (30 x% carbon) + (0.5 x% manganese)

Chromium (III)_(equivalent)Chromium +% molybdenum + (1.5 x% silicon) + (0.5 x% niobium)

The "controlled ferrite" grade electrodes are divided into 308L grade and 316L grade. However, its composition is more strictly controlled to ensure a low ferrite weld deposit. The schaeffler diagram of fig. 2 was used to estimate the resulting phase distribution for various alloys and welds. ASME boiler and pressure vessel code part VII UHA-51(a) (3) (-a) (-1) specifies: the 316L weld filler metal must have a ferrite number less than or equal to 5 and the 308L weld filler metal must have a ferrite number ranging from 4 to 14 as determined by the WRC-1992 construction diagram. To achieve less than 5 FNs, the 316L electrode composition must be controlled so that it does not fall below the "5F" line in FIG. 2. Likewise, for 308L filler metal, the composition must be tightly controlled to produce the correct ferrite number. Therefore, "controlled ferrite" electrodes are manufactured and sold to comply with the more stringent FN requirements. However, these electrodes are costly to produce and employ for the end user, and they produce weld metals that have a greater risk of solidification cracking due to the microstructure and lesser amount of ferrite demonstrated by the Suutala diagram (see fig. 8).

TABLE 1 electrode composition

The design temperatures encountered for austenitic stainless steels used in LNG facilities may vary, but for simplicity and for ease of testing, the charpy impact test is usually performed at-196 ℃, since this test temperature is conveniently achieved by cooling in liquid nitrogen. Toughness is proportional to the impact energy absorbed by the fracture and lateral spread is a measure of the deformation or fracture ductility of the charpy test specimen. The most common specified toughness requirement is based on charpy lateral spread. This requirement of 0.38mm lateral spread at-196 ℃, which can be found in the ASME specification (e.g., ASME B31.3 for process lines) is frequently cited.

Generally, as the percentage of ferrite increases, the toughness of the weld decreases. Generally, when plotting the lateral spread against the ferrite content, it is noted that 0.38mm lateral spread of ferrite content above about-4.5 FN cannot be guaranteed.

The term "polarity" is used to describe the electrical connection of the electrodes with respect to the power supply terminal. In the case of Direct Current (DC), when an electrode is connected to the positive terminal, the polarity is designated as direct current electrode positive (DCEP or DC +). When the electrode is connected to the negative terminal, the polarity is designated as direct current electrode negative (DCEN or DC-). When Alternating Current (AC) is used, the polarity changes from positive to negative and vice versa. Conventional AC outputs change polarity once every half cycle and are symmetrical (typically in the shape of a sine wave) in both the time they spend in the positive and negative polarity zones and the peak amplitude in each zone. In the case of an AC output, the welding current alternates from positive to negative flow and back again.

Embodiments of the present invention describe the waveform as an Alternating Current (AC) to indicate that the current and/or voltage crosses between a positive polarity and a negative polarity. These waveforms are not intended to be symmetrical in time or amplitude or even symmetrical in any sense about the zero point. Rather, the waveform may take more time or amplitude on each side of the zero point. It will be appreciated that the use of the term AC does not limit the welding waveform to a waveform similar to a conventional symmetrical AC waveform, but rather it can be a very complex waveform that crosses the zero point at intervals.

The waveform may be shaped in this manner to provide a smooth transition across the zero point, and the current and voltage waveforms may have different shapes to provide a smooth welding arc and minimize welding defects (such as lack of melting or slag entrapment).

The time in the negative region is accompanied by a change in the electron flow in the welding arc and by an increase in the leaching of the filler metal into the weld pool, increasing the speed at which the weld can be produced. The time in the positive electrode region is accompanied by increased penetration into the metals being joined. The shape of the waveform in each zone can be manipulated to provide these benefits. The waveform used in the present invention provides higher deposition rates and productivity for the same welding current using conventional DC + or conventional AC welding.

Fig. 3 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a waveform output by a welding power supply as part of the present invention. The waveform is in the form of an alternating current waveform, wherein the welding wire is switched between a cathode and an anode. The welding waveform may be controlled, in part, by an operator of the welding process, such as to control the percentage of time the wire spends in the positive current polarity. For example, fig. 3 shows a waveform with 50% balance. 50% equilibrium means that the filaments are positively charged for 50% of the time. 100% balance corresponds to a DC + signal and 0% balance corresponds to a DC-signal. As shown in fig. 3, an exemplary welding current 300 and corresponding voltage 350 are shown. The current waveform has a plurality of positive pulses 310 and negative pulses 320. Where each pulse has a corresponding peak current level. In some embodiments, the peak current levels may have the same amperage (even at different polarities), while in other embodiments, the peak levels may be different. Also, as shown in the exemplary embodiment, each pulse has at least two different current ramp rates. For example, as shown, each positive and negative pulse has a first current ramp rate (slope) after the current exceeds the 0 threshold, and then each pulse has a transition point (311/321, respectively), in which case the current transitions to a lower ramp rate (slope) until the current reaches a corresponding peak. As shown, in some exemplary embodiments, the pulse has a current slope transition point as the current increases toward a peak level and changes from its corresponding peak level to a 0 threshold as shown. In some exemplary embodiments, the transition level is at the same current level as the current increases and decreases, while in other embodiments, the transition level is at a different current level. In further exemplary embodiments, the transition level of each positive and negative pulse is at the same relative transition current level (even at different polarities), while in other embodiments, the transition levels between positive and negative pulses may be different. Further, in additional exemplary embodiments, the corresponding pulse may have an additional transition level, wherein the current ramp rate is changed to a third ramp rate. Further, in an exemplary embodiment, the corresponding first and second ramp rates of each positive pulse may have the same magnitude. However, in other embodiments, it may be different. For example, in some embodiments, the first ramp rate in each of the positive and negative pulses may be the same (e.g., from 0 amps to a transition level), but in the positive pulses, the second ramp rate (from the transition to the peak) may have a first amplitude, and the second ramp rate in the negative pulses may have a greater or lesser ramp rate (in amplitude) from the transition to the negative peak, depending on the desired waveform performance and negative effects as described herein.

In exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the transition level may be in the range of 100 to 350 amps, while in other exemplary embodiments, the level(s) may be in the range of 150 to 300 amps. Further, in an exemplary embodiment, the transition level may be in a range of 10% to 35% of the peak current level of the corresponding pulse. For example, if the positive peak current is 900 amps, the transition point 311 may be in the range of 10% to 35% of this peak current, while if the negative peak current is 800 amps, the transition point 321 may be in the range of 10% to 35% of this peak current. In other embodiments, the transition point may be in the range of 15% to 30% of the corresponding peak current.

Further, in the embodiment illustrated in fig. 3, the duration of each corresponding positive and negative pulse is the same, however, in other embodiments, this may not be the case. For example, in some embodiments, the duration of the positive pulse is longer than the duration of the negative pulse, or vice versa. Similarly, in some exemplary embodiments, the duration of the peak levels in the corresponding pulses is the same (ignoring the relative duration of the pulses), or it may be different. For example, in some embodiments, the negative peak duration may be longer than the positive peak duration, or vice versa.

In an exemplary embodiment, the negative effects of the welding waveform may be defined by an ideal complete cycle (i.e., one ideal cycle) of the waveform. However, in other embodiments, the negative effect may be determined via multiple cycles. In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the desired negative effect of the entire welding operation is achieved/obtained, that is to say the average negative effect of the welding operation is at the desired negative effect. That is, a desired negative effect (e.g., -100) is achieved via a given welding operation for the welding waveform ensemble being utilized. However, the desired negative effect is achieved in other welding operations for only a portion of the welding operations. For example, in some exemplary embodiments, a welding waveform of a welding operation has at least a first portion and a second portion, wherein the first portion has a desired negative effect and the second portion does not. In some exemplary embodiments, the first portion may be in a range of 35% to 95% of the total length of the welding operation. In other exemplary embodiments, the first portion may be in a range of 45% to 85% of the total length of time. In those welding operations where the weld puddle is relatively small, the total duration of the desired negative-effect portion of the waveform may be less than the total duration in those welding operations where the puddle is large.

Fig. 4 shows a current waveform 400 having 75% balance. This means that the wire is positively charged for 75% of the time, while fig. 5 shows a current waveform 500 with 25% equilibrium. This means that the filament is positively charged for 25% of the time.

Other waveform variables that may be directly changed by the welding operator may include offset and frequency. The offset allows the waveform to transition in either the positive or negative current direction. For example, a positive offset will increase the peak positive current and decrease the peak negative current while maintaining the RMS current. The frequency controls the cycle time of the waveform. Note that while specific waveform structures are shown in the examples herein, embodiments of the present invention are not limited to these waveforms. Other welding waveform shapes and configurations may be used with embodiments of the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the present invention. However, in an exemplary embodiment, the desired negative effect of achieving a waveform is to have a negative power bias.

In an exemplary embodiment of the invention, the desired negative effect may be input by a user into the power source (see, e.g., fig. 1) as a set point or control point for the welding operation. In such embodiments, the power source will control the welding waveform (consistent with known methods and processes) to ensure that the desired negative effects are achieved. This may be done, for example, by adjusting the duration and/or amplitude of the negative and/or positive peaks of the pulses. In other exemplary embodiments, the power source may utilize the controller/processor to determine a negative effect of the welding waveform and display the determined negative effect to a user on a display of the power source. Since such displays and processors/computers are known and may be implemented on the exemplary power supplies discussed in fig. 1, the details thereof need not be described in detail herein. The user may thus use the input system and/or a display on the power supply to adjust aspects of the waveform until the desired negative effect for a given waveform is calculated/determined. Once the desired negative effects of a given waveform are achieved, the welding process can be initiated. Of course, in some embodiments, the power source can perform these calculations and display the results, while in other embodiments, a separate/stand-alone computer or the like can be used to analyze the negative effects of a given waveform until the desired effect is achieved, and then the user can input this waveform into the power source to achieve the desired welding waveform.

Fig. 6 and 7 show the effect of varying the waveform on the negative effect of the energy absorption (measured in foot-pounds) of the weld. As the negative effects decrease, the toughness of the weld increases. In some exemplary embodiments, the polarity balance of the welding waveform is biased towards DC negative (e.g., negative effects less than 100). An example of such a waveform is shown in fig. 5.

The use of a waveform with a changed polarity reduces the oxygen content of the weld metal and the negative effect of reducing the waveform increases the cooling rate of the weld metal. It is hypothesized that these combinations, among other variables, are responsible for the resulting weld metal microstructure that provides high notch toughness at low temperatures. The end user values are readily apparent. The 316L electrode is considerably less expensive than the 316LCF electrode, but is comparable to the equivalent weld metal in terms of physical properties that can be achieved. The present invention also benefits from higher wire feed speeds that allow welding to be faster with the same energy input, thereby saving manpower and power. For example, some exemplary embodiments of the present invention may achieve wire feed rates up to 30% faster than existing welding processes with the same energy input.

For example, as shown in fig. 12, when a conventional DC + waveform with a current of 550 amps is used, a wire feed speed of 100 inches/minute or a deposition rate of 21.3 pounds/hour. However, a wire feed speed of 135 inches/minute may be achieved when using the exemplary waveform of the present invention having a duration of 25% in electrode positive polarity with negative effects as described herein. This is a significant improvement over the known methods.

Data for a standard stainless steel consumable is plotted in fig. 10 using a prior art waveform that does not have a negative effect of less than 100. It can be seen that there is a relationship between charpy toughness and lateral spread of austenitic stainless steel weld metal.

As shown in fig. 11, with the prior art waveforms not having a negative effect of less than 100, the ferrite number also has an effect on the toughness of the flux core wire deposit at-196 ℃ (-320 ° f). This is shown by the average data for both the standard 308L/316L electrodes and the 308LCF/316LCF type electrode.

An "L" electrode (ferrite number between 6 and 10 (including 6 and 10)) is made by transforming the AC waveform with the increased negative effect to less than 100 (or lower) for performing as if it belongs to a more controlled "LCF" type electrode with a lower ferrite number, typically between 4.2 and 5.1 (including 4.2 and 5.1).

While the invention has been described with reference to certain embodiments, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes may be made and equivalents may be substituted without departing from the scope of the invention. In addition, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or material to the teachings of the invention without departing from its scope. Therefore, it is intended that the invention not be limited to the particular embodiment disclosed, but that the invention will include all embodiments falling within the scope of the appended claims.