Numerical simulation of transient heat transfer in friction-stir welding

Abstract

In this numerical study, three dimensional transient heat transfer analysis of Friction Stir Welding of two 8mm-thick AA-6061-T651 (an aluminum alloy) slabs has been performed. The numerical tool is the commercial package Comsol (c) where the domain is modeled as a rectangular aluminum slab with a moving heat source along the centerline, as was the case in the experimental setup whose results have been compared to those of Comsol. Comparison has shown that moving heat source boundary condition to account for the heat input from the tool shoulder generates realistic results and thus can be a standard in similar problems. The findings of this work are believed to be a reference for future research on this area.