Fraunhofer-Institut für Produktionsanlagen und Konstruktionstechnik IPK

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  • Publication
    Application of Hybrid Laser Arc Welding for Construction of LNG Tanks Made of Thick Cryogenic 9% Ni Steel Plates
    ( 2023-10-18)
    Gook, Sergej
    ;
    El-Batahgy, Abdel-Monem
    ;
    Gumenyuk, Andrey
    ;
    Biegler, Max
    ;
    Rethmeier, Michael
    Hybrid laser-arc welding (HLAW) was applied for butt welding of 14.5 mm thick plates of ferritic cryogenic steel X8Ni9 containing 9% Ni, which is used for manufacturing storage and transport facilities of liquefied natural gas (LNG). The weld seam formation and the achievable metallurgical and mechanical properties of the hybrid welds were investigated experimentally for two types of filler wire, an austenitic wire dissimilar to the base metal (BM) and an experimentally produced matching ferritic wire. Safe penetration and uniform distribution of the austenitic filler metal in the narrow hybrid weld could only be achieved in the upper, arc-dominated part of the weld. The pronounced heterogeneous distribution of the austenitic filler metal in the middle part and in the root area of the weld could not ensure sufficient notched impact toughness of the weld metal (WM). As a result, a decrease in the impact energy down to 17 ± 3 J was observed, which is below the acceptance level of ≥ 34 J for cryogenic applications. In contrast, the use of a matching ferritic filler wire resulted in satisfactory impact energy of the hybrid welds of up to 134 ± 52 J at the concerned cryogenic temperature of-196 °C. The obtained results contribute to an important and remarkable conversion in automated manufacturing of LNG facilities. In other words, the results will help to develop a new laser-based welding technology, where both quality and productivity are considered. The efficiency of the developed welding process has been demonstrated by manufacturing a prototype where a segment of the inner wall of large size LNG storage tank was constructed. In this concern, hybrid laser arc welding was conducted in both horizontal (2G) and vertical (3G) positions as a simulation to the actual onsite manufacturing. The prototype was fabricated twice where its quality was confirmed based on non-destructive and destructive examinations.
  • Publication
    Laser and hybrid laser-arc welding of cryogenic 9%Ni steel for construction of LNG storage tanks
    ( 2015)
    Gook, Sergej
    ;
    Forquer, Matthew
    ;
    Gumenyuk, Andrey
    ;
    Rethmeier, Michael
    ;
    El-Batahgy, Abdel-Monem
    Heat treated 9%Ni steel is considered the most suitable and economic material for construction of large-size Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) storage tanks which operate at cryogenic temperatures (-196°C). Strength above 700 MPa as well as a minimum impact value of 60 J are required to ensure reliable operation of the LNG tanks at operating temperature. Conventional arc welding processes including shielded metal arc welding (SMAW), gas metal arc welding (GMAW), gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW) and submerged arc welding (SAW) are currently used in construction of LNG tanks. Ni based filler wire is the preferred filler metal of choice in LNG tank construction. The main problem with this choice is the lower mechanical properties, particularly tensile strength of the weld metal. To compensate, the wall thickness needs to be excessively thick to ensure the strength of the welded structures. Ni based filler material is expensive and a large quantity is needed to fill the multi-pass weld grooves. These factors significantly add to the cost in the fabrication of LNG storage tanks. For these reasons, exploration of new welding technologies are a priority. A big potential can be seen in laser based welding techniques. Laser beam welding results in much smaller weld zone with chemical composition and mechanical properties similar to that of the base material. Laser welding is a much faster process and allows for a joint geometry which requires less filler material and fewer welding passes. The advantages of laser welding can help to overcome the problems pointed out above. Trials of autogenous laser welding, laser cold-wire welding and hybrid laser-arc welding (HLAW) conducted on the 9%Ni steel are presented in this paper. Chemical composition of the weld metal as well as effects of welding parameters on the weld formation, microstructure and tensile strength is discussed. Filler wire penetration depth as well as character of its distribution in the narrow laser welds was examined using Electron Probe Microanalysis (EPMA).