Influence of Forming Residual Stresses on the Welding Distortions of Two Thick Plates

The manufacturing of the ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) vacuum vessel involves the welding of thick deformed plates. The aim of this study is to investigate the influence of forming residual stresses on the welding distortions of two thick plates. The plates are deformed using a three point rolling process. A first numerical simulation is performed to investigate the residual stresses induced by this process. The forming residual stresses are taken into account as initial conditions to perform the electron beam welding simulation of a deformed plate. This simulation first requires calibrating the heat source. Two welding simulations are then performed: the first one with residual stresses and the second one without. The comparison of the simulation results points out a low effect of the residual stresses on the electron beam welding distortions. As a result, in the next electron beam welding simulations of the vacuum vessel, no forming residual stresses will be taken into account.