Numerical simulation of small section rectangular tube in parallel welding

The welding temperature field and deformation of parallel arrangement small-section rectangular tubes is calculated by using a non-contact model. After comparing the computed results with the experimentally measured results, it shows that there exist big errors when applying this model to the numerical simulation of small-section rectangular tube's welding temperature field and deformation. Based on a simple analysis of the errors, a contact model is presented. The heat transfer and stress analysis between small-section rectangular tubes and clamping fixture are simulated by using direct constraints method, and then the laws of the temperature distribution, which coincide with experiment, are obtained. A further numerical analysis of the stress and deformation are made, it shows that a 'T' shaped stress-field is formed in the vicinity of the weld. As the stress-field departs from the centroid of tubes', this leads to the small rectangular tubes not only have a longitudinal deflection, but also have a transverse bending and deformation.