Effect of groove shape on residual stress distribution in narrow gap welds

It is well known that conventional welding techniques can result in welding defects due to the large groove angle of the weld. In this context, the narrow gap welding (NGW) technique is applied in the nuclear industry because of its inherent merits such as the reduction in welding time and the shrinkage of the weld, and the small deformation of the weld resulting from the small groove angle and welding bead width. In this paper, the distribution of welding residual stress and deformation behavior of the ER308L weld due to NGW are predicted through nonlinear two-dimensional finite element analysis, in which the actual NGW process is simulated in detail. In particular, the effects of the shape of weld, i.e., the width of the weld and the shape of the welding groove, on the residual stress are investigated. The present results can be used to assess the integrity of defective nuclear components and to improve the welding process.