Numerical simulation to study the effect of Arc travelling speed and welding sequences on residual stresses in welded sections of New Ferritic P92 pipes

New ferritic P92 steel is widely used in modern power plants due to its good combination of mechanical and physical properties. However, cracks are often formed in the welded sections during the fabrication or service. In order to ensure the structure integrity, the effects of residual stresses need to be considered. The objective of this paper is to investigate the influence of arc travelling speed and welding sequences on the residual stresses distribution in the welded sections of P92 pipes by finite element method (FEM). Results show that arc travelling speed and welding sequences have great effects on residual stresses distribution. With the arc travelling speed increasing, the residual stresses increase. Meanwhile, welding sequences of case B present smaller residual stresses and more symmetrical distribution of residual stresses at the weld centre line. Therefore, using slower arc travelling speed and case B welding sequences can be useful to decrease the residual stresses, which provides a reference for optimizing the welding technology and improving the fabrication process of new ferritic P92 welded pipes with small diameter and thick wall.