Emerging Challenges for Numerical Simulations of Quasi-Static Collision Experiments on Laser-Welded Thin-Walled Steel Structures

This paper re-evaluates recently published quasi-static tests on laser-welded thin-walled steel structures in order to discuss the fundamental challenges in collision simulations based on finite element analysis.Clamped square panels were considered,with spherical indenter positioned at the mid-span of the stiffeners and moved along this centerline in order to change the load-carrying mechanism of the panels.Furthermore,the use of panels with single-sided flat bar stiffening and web-core sandwich panels enabled the investigation of the effect of structural topology on structural behavior and strength.The changes in loading position and panel topology resulted in different loading,structural and material gradients.In web-core panels,these three gradients occur at the same locations making the panel global responses sensitive for statistical variations and the failure process time-dependent.In stiffened panel with reduced structural gradient,this sensitivity and time-dependency in failure process is not observed.These observations set challenges to numerical simulations due to spatial and temporal discretization as well as the observed microrotation,which is beyond the currently used assumptions of classical continuum mechanics.Therefore,finally,we discuss the potential of non-classical continuum mechanics as remedy to deal with these phenomena and provide a base for necessary development for future.

Sensitivity of springback and section deformation to process parameters in rotary draw bending of thin-walled rectangular H96 brass tube

In order to study the effects of the process parameters on springback and section deformation, a sensitivity analysis model was established based on the combination use of the multi-parameter sensitivity analysis method and the springback/section deformation prediction finite element model, and by using this model the sensitivities of the springback and the section deformation to process parameters were analyzed and compared. The results show that the most sensitive process conditions for springback angle are the boost speed and the pressure of pressure die, and the most sensitive process condition for section deformation is the number of cores. When the clamp force, the boost speed and the pressure of pressure die are utilized to control section deformation, the effect of these process parameters on springback should be considered. When the process parameters are mainly used to control springback, the effect of these process parameters on the section deformation should be always considered.

Warm bending mechanism of extrados and intrados of large diameter thin-walled CP-Ti tubes

In order to develop the warming bending technology of the large diameter thin-walled（LDTW） commercial pure titanium alloy CP-Ti tubes, the warm bending mechanism of the extrados and intrados of LDTW CP-Ti tubes was researched. By EBSD analysis and Vickers hardness test, the changes of microstructure and strength of the tubes at different bending temperatures of 293, 423 and 573 K, were analyzed. The results show： 1） The extrados of the bent tube deforms mainly by slip, along with few twinning, and the preferred orientation is similar to that of the initial tube; the intrados of the bent tube experiences compression deformation mainly by {1 012} tensile twinning, and the twinning makes the preferred orientation of wall materials change sharply. 2） The Vickers hardness values of both the extrados and intrados of the samples after bending increase greatly; the Vickers hardness values of the intrados are much higher than those of the extrados, and Vickers hardness values of the RD-TD planes are always higher than those of the RD-LD planes, which are related to the different deformation mechanisms.

Significance-based optimization of processing parameters for thin-walled aluminum alloy tube NC bending with small bending radius

Thin-walled aluminum alloy tube numerical control （NC） bending with small bending radius is a complex process with multi-factor coupling effects and multi-die constraints. A significance-based optimization method of the parameters was proposed based on the finite element （FE） simulation, and the significance analysis of the processing parameters on the forming quality in terms of the maximum wall thinning ratio and the maximum cross section distortion degree was implemented using the fractional factorial design. The optimum value of the significant parameter, the clearance between the tube and the wiper die, was obtained, and the values of the other parameters, including the friction coefficients and the clearances between the tube and the dies, the mandrel extension length and the boost velocity were estimated. The results are applied to aluminum alloy tube NC bending d50 mm×1 mm×75 mm and d70 mm×1.5 mm×105 mm （initial tube outside diameter D0 × initial tube wall thickness t0 × bending radius R）, and qualified tubes are produced.

Deformation Calculation of Cross-section Based on Virtual Force in Thin-walled Tube Bending Process

Cross-section deformation is one of important factors affecting the quality of tube formation, and the tube＇s capability of transporting liquid and gas will be reduced because of the cross-section ellipse deformation due to the effect of shear load in plastic bending process. When the tube is bent, the extrados-wall bears the tension stress and the intrados-wall bears the compression stress, synchronously the cross-section is affected by the circumferential stress. According to the above, the distribution function and curve of tangential stress can be obtained according to force balance differential equations on circumferential direction and Trasca rule. Subsequently the real state and virtual state moment equations were established, a new method was presented adopting the virtual principle of deformation system to calculate the x-axis and y-axis displacement of arbitrary point on cross-section. So the major and minor axes of deformed cross-section can be calculated according to the displacements of each point, and the variety value of major and minor axes will be obtained further. Finally the theoretical calculating result is compared with NC tube rotary-bending experiment results to verify the rationality of theoretical analysis, and the cross-section deformation rule of thin-walled tube can be received.

Cross-sectional distortion behaviors of thin-walled rectangular tube in rotary-draw bending process

The cross-sectional distortion usually appears during rotary-draw bending process of thin-walled rectangular tube with small bending radius.To study the cross-sectional distortion of the tube,a three-dimensional finite-element model of the process was developed based on ABAQUS/Explicit code and its reliability was validated by experiment.Then,the cross-sectional distortion behaviors of the tube were investigated.The results show that a zone of larger circumferential stress appears on the tube when bending angle reaches 30°.And in the larger circumferential stress zone,the sagging phenomenon is produced obviously.The maximum cross-sectional distortion is located in the larger circumferential stress zone and the angle between the plane of maximum cross-sectional distortion and the bending reference plane is about 50°.The position of the maximum cross-sectional distortion keeps almost unchanged with the variation of the clearances between dies and tube.

Optimizing the Qusai-static Folding and Deploying of Thin-Walled Tube Flexure Hinges with Double Slots

The thin-walled tube flexure（TWTF） hinges have important potential application value in the deployment mechanisms of satellite and solar array, but the optimal design of the TWTF hinges haven＇t been completely solved, which restricts their applications. An optimal design method for the qusai-static folding and deploying of TWTF hinges with double slots is presented based on the response surface theory. Firstly, the full factorial method is employed to design of the experiments. Then, the finite element models of the TWTF hinges with double slots are constructed to simulate the qusai-static folding and deploying non-linear analysis. What＇s more, the mathematical model of the TWTF flexure hinge quasi-static folding and deploying properties are derived by the response surface method. Considering of small mass and high stability, the peak moment of quasi-static folding and deploying as well as the lightless are set as the objectives to get the optimal performances. The relative errors of the objectives between the optimal design results and the FE analysis results are less than 7%, which demonstrates the precision of the surrogate models. Lastly, the parameter study shows that both the slots length and the slots width both have significant effects to the peak moment of quasi-static folding and deploying of TWTF hinges with double slots. However, the maximum Mises stress of quasi-static folding is more sensitive to the slots length than the slots width. The proposed research can be applied to optimize other thin-walled flexure hinges under quasi-static folding and deploying, which is of great importance to design of flexure hinges with high stability and low stress.

Study on buffering performance of thin-walled metal tube with different angles

High frequency shock load is often generated during pyrotechnic device working, which is detrimental to spacecraft structures and electric devices. Therefore, it is valuable to reduce the shock load in pyrotechnic device design. Actually, there are several ways to decrease pyroshock loads, such as reduction of powder,installation of buffering structure, insulation of damageable devices, and so on. Considered assuring the function of pyrotechnic device and minimum of structure modification, shock absorbing structure is more propitious to be introduced in pyrotechnic device. In this paper, based on the method of thinwalled metal tube diameter-expanding, a thin-walled tube shock buffering structure was designed on a separate bolt. Built on the simplified structure of a separate bolt, the model of cone piston impacting thin-walled tube absorber was established, and the thin-walled tube shock absorbing characteristics and the relation between cone angles and absorber performance were analyzed. The results showed that the change of buffering force of thin-walled tube could be divided into four phases, and each phase was correspondent to the cone piston structure. In addition, as the cone angle increases, the max shock acceleration changes in the style of decrease-increase-decrease-increase, which is the result of coupled effects of cone piston max enter depth, buffering force and energy loss. In short, these results could establish the relationships between thin-walled tube absorbing performance and its structure, which is of significance to develop low-shock pyrotechnic device.

Experimental and numerical assessment of energy absorption capacity of thin-walled Al 5083 tube produced by PTCAP process

The energy absorption capacity of the Al5083 thin-walled tube produced by parallel tubular angular pressing(PTCAP) process was evaluated. Also, microstructure, mechanical properties, and anisotropy coefficients were studied in the peripheral and axial directions. Results showed that values of energy absorption decreased with processing pass increasing and the values for the unprocessed, first and second passes were obtained to be 167, 161.4 and 160.7 J, respectively. The differences between the simulation results for the energy absorption values and their experimental values for the unprocessed, the first and the second PTCAP passes samples are about 5%, 10%, and 13%, respectively. The energy absorption capacity was related to the anisotropy coefficient and microstructure. The results demonstrated that grain refinement occurred and ultimate tensile strength(UTS) and microhardness after the first and second PTCAP passes were enhanced, while the increase rate in the first pass was much severer. Also, by applying PTCAP, the deformation modes were altered, such that the deformation mode of the annealed tube was quite symmetrical and circular while for the first and second passes there have been triple and double lobes diamond. The results of the numerical simulation for the deformation mode of the annealed and PTCAPed tubes were consistent with the experimental results. The deformation mode of tubes is dependent on their mechanical properties and variation of the mechanical properties during PTCAP process.

A Numerical-analytic Method for Quickly Predicting Springback of Numerical Control Bending of Thin-walled Tube

Springback is one of important factors influencing the forming quality of numerical control （NC） bending of thin-walled tube. In this paper, a numerical-analytic method for springback angle prediction of the process was put forward. The method is based on springback angle model derived using analytic method and simulation results from three-dimensional （3D） rigid-plastic finite element method （FEM）. The method is validated through comparison with experimental results. The features of the method are as follows： （1） The method is high in efficiency because it combines advantages of rigid-plastic FEM and analytic method. （2） The method is satisfactory in accuracy, since the field variables used in the model is resulting from 3D rigid-plastic FEM solution, and the effects both of axial force and strain neutral axis shift have been included. （3） Research on multi-factor effects can be carried out using the method due to its advantage inheriting from rigid-plastic FEM. The method described here is also of general significance to other bending processes.

Combined stress waves with phase transition in thin-walled tubes

The incremental constitutive relation and governing equations with combined stresses for phase transition wave propagation in a thin-walled tube are established based on the phase transition criterion considering both the hydrostatic pressure and the deviatoric stress. It is found that the centers of the initial and subsequent phase transition ellipses are shifted along the sigma-axis in the sigma tau-plane due to the tension-compression asymmetry induced by the hydrostatic pressure. The wave solution offers the 'fast' and 'slow' phase transition waves under combined longitudinal and torsional stresses in the phase transition region. The results show some new stress paths and wave structures in a thin-walled tube with phase transition, differing from those of conventional elastic-plastic materials.

A STUDY ON THE EFFECT OF RADIAL INERTIA ON THE ELASTO-PLASTIC COMBINED STRESS WAVE PROPAGATION IN THIN-WALLED TUBES

An in-depth analysis of propagation characteristics ofelasto-plastic combined stress waves in circular thin-walled tubeshas been made. In obtaining the simple-wave solution, however, mostresearches have ignored the influence of the circumferential stressrelated to the radial inertial ef- fect in the tubes. In this paperthe incremental elasto-plastic constitutive relations which areconve- nient for dynamic numerical analysis are adopted, and thefinite-difference method is used to study the evolution adpropagation of elasto-plastic combined stress waves in a thin-walledtube with the radial inertial effect of the tube considered. Thecalculation results are compared with those obtained when the radialinertial effect is not considered. The calculation results show thatthe radial inertial effect of a tube has a fairly great influence onthe propagation of elasto-plastic combined stress waves.

Torsional Behavior Design of UHPC Box Beams Based on Thin-Walled Tube Theory

This study proposed a prediction formula for the torsional strength enabling to reflect the tensile strength of ultra high performance concrete (UHPC) beams based upon the thin-walled tube theory. The remarkable ductile behavior of UHPC can also be attributed to the steel fiber reinforcement. This feature must be considered to provide rational explanation of the torsional behavior of UHPC structures. In this study, the proposed torsional design adopts a modified thin-walled tube theory so as to consider the tensile behavior of UHPC. And torsion test was conducted on thin-walled UHPC box beams to validate the proposed formula through comparison of the predicted torsional strength with the experimental results. The comparison of the predicted values of the cracking torque and torsional moment resistance with those observed in the torsional test of UHPC verified the validity of the design method. The contribution of the steel fibers to the torsional strength and cracking load was larger than that of the stirrups, but the stirrups appeared to contribute additionally to the torsional ductility. Accordingly, it is recommended that design should exploit effectively the contribution of the steel fiber rather than arrange a larger number of stirrups in UHPC structures subjected to torsion.

Viscous Inner and Outer Pressure Forming Method of Thin-walled Tube and Its Application

Aiming at overcoming the difficulties in integral forming of thin-walled tubes with complex shapes, a novel forming method by inner and outer pressure through viscous was proposed. In this method, by dividing large deformation of the part into inner and outer pressure forming deformations, the limit deformation of tube part can be increased by several times. Meanwhile, the principle of viscous inner and outer pressure forming was provided, and key problems during the forming process such as reduction of the wall-thickness and instability wrinkling were analyzed. Thereby, the complex curved surface super-alloy GH3044 thin-walled tube with varying diameter ratio of 1.35（the ratio between the maximum and minimum diameters of the part） can be integrally formed by this method. The experimental surface of the formed part is superior in quality and the wall-thickness distribution is uniform. The results show that the viscous inner and outer pressure forming can provide a new approach for integral forming of thin-walled tubes with complex shapes.

Transient out-of-plane distortion of multi-pass fillet welded tube to pipe T-joints

The out-of-plane distortion induced in a multi-pass circumferential fillet welding of tube to pipe under different weld sequences and directions was studied using Finite Element Method(FEM) based Sysweld software and verified experimentally. The FEM analyses consisted of thermal and mechanical analyses.Thermal analysis was validated with experimental transient temperature measurements. In the mechanical analysis, three different weld sequences and directions were considered to understand the mechanism of out-of-plane distortion in the tube to pipe T-joints. It was learnt that the welding direction plays a major role in minimizing the out-of-plane distortion. Further, during circumferential fillet welding of the tube to pipe component, the out-of-plane distortion generated in the x direction was primarily influenced by heat input due to the start and stop points, whereas the distortion in the z direction was influenced by time lag and welding direction. The FEM predicted distortion was compared with experimental measurements and the mechanism of out-of-plane distortion was confirmed.

Mechanism of weld-line movement within hydroforming of tailor-welded tube

To reveal the reason of weld-line movement in hydroforming of a tailor-welded tube (TWT) with dissimilar thickness,the stress ratio of axial stress to circumferential stress is derived by mechanical analysis and analyzed between the thicker and thinner tubes,as well as the property of the axial strain. During TWT hydroforming,tensile strain along axial direction happens on the thinner tube. On the contrary,compressive strain happens on the thicker tube. Experiments are conducted to varify the weld-line movement regularity and strain distribution. It indicates that the weld-line moves from the thinner part to the thicker during TWT hydroforming. The thinning ratio of the thinner tube is bigger than that of the thicker tube,especially in the zone near weldline. Stress ratio difference between the thicker tube and the thinner tube is the main reason of weld-line movement and non-uniform thinning ratio distribution.

Novel approach for analysis of deformation behavior of thin-walled tube in free hydro-bulging process

Based on the assumption that profile of thin walled tube in free hydro-bulging process is a quadratic curve and any point on the profile moves vertically to the profile, mathematical models were deduced for analyzing the deformation behavior. The critical pressure and the maximum bulge coefficient(height) at bursting can be determined based on the models, in which a shape factor a is introduced to tightly communicate the material property and geometric parameters to plastic deformation. Free hydro-bulging experiments of stainless steel and low carbon steel tubes were conducted to validate the models, and the experimental data indicate that the theoretical predictions are reliable and accurate. The results display that the profile, dependent on the material and geometric parameters, can be hyperbola, parabola, arc and ellipse or alternative among them; moreover, the forming pressure and forming limit are both closely connected with material and geometric parameters.

Weld Characteristics and NC Bending Formability of QSTE340 Welded Tube

The mechanical characteristics of the weld joint were investigated by tensile test, microstructure test, and microhardness test. The welded tube NC bending tests were carried out to evaluate the weld on the formability of the QSTE340 welded tube. The results show that the wall thinning degree, cross-sectional deformation and springback angle increase significantly as the weld line is located on the outside of the bend compared with that located on the middle and inside, and the welded tubes produce nearly identical performance as the weld line is located on the middle and inside. The wall thickening degree decreases much as the weld line is located on the inside of the bend. So the welded tube can acquire good bending formability as the weld line is located in the region away from the outside of the bend.

Evolution of Goss texture in thin-walled copper tube at different heat treatment temperatures

The evolution of microstructure,textures,and mechanical properties of thin-walled copper tube during heat treatment was investigated using EBSD technique and tensile test.The results show that the initial deformation textures of pre-drawn thin-walled copper tube are mainly composed of Copper and Y components,while with the increase of temperatures,the textures are transformed into a strong Goss texture gradually.The high-resolution microstructural characterizations indicate that the new Goss recrystallized grains nucleate and grow up within the deformed Copper grains and Y grains in different mechanisms,respectively.The tensile strength of the thin-walled copper tube decreases gradually with the increase of the temperature,while the elongation increases first and then decreases sharply due to the action of grain sizes and texture components.

Influence of flash trap profiles on joint properties of friction welded CP-Ti tube to 304L stainless steel tube plate using external tool

Titanium tube and stainless steel tube plate were welded by an innovative friction welding of tube to tube plate using an external tool (FWTPET). Copper was used as an interlayer for joining the dissimilar materials and also to minimize the effect of intermetallics formed at the joint interface. The process parameters that govern FWTPET process are plunge rate, rotational speed, plunge depth, axial load and flash trap profile. Among them, the flash trap profile of the tube has a significant influence on the joint integrity. Various flash trap profiles like vertical slots, holes, zig-zag holes, and petals were made on the titanium tube welded to the stainless steel tube plate. Macroscopic and microscopic studies reveal defect-free joints. The presence of copper interlayer and intermetallics was evident from X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) studies. The microhardness survey was presented across and along the interface. A novel test procedure called “plunge shear test” was developed to evaluate the joint properties of the welded joints. The highest shear fracture load of 31.58 kN was observed on the sample having petals as flash trap profile. The sheared surfaces were further characterized using SEM for fractography.