Three-dimensional finite element prediction of transient thermal history and residual deformation due to line heating

The parameters of the line heating process have significant effect on thermal history and the resulting residual deformation of the heated plate. The thermal transients are dependent on torch speed, torch height, gas pressure, and nozzle size, which in turn controls the residual deformation of the plate. In the present work, three-dimensional transient finite element thermomechanical analysis of line heating using oxyacetylene gas flame is presented. The analysis is carried out using temperature-dependent material properties, Newton's convection, and Gaussian distribution of heat. To reduce the computation time, a fine mesh was used along and near the heating line that was coarsened at the edges and away from the heating line. Numerical thermal transients and residual deformation were presented for various torch speeds, heat inputs, and different thicknesses of plate (6 mm, 8 mm, 10 mm, and 12 mm thick plates). The results compared fairly well with experimental and previously published results. The reduction in peak temperature, for similar heating conditions, and the increase in structural stiffness of thicker plates resulted in a reduction in out-of-plane deformation. In this work, the computational model for correlation of deformation pattern with heat input for a single heating line has been achieved. This model will further be extended to predict deformation patterns due to multiple parallel and oblique heating lines.