Determination of Optimum Blank Shape to Minimize the Root Gap during TIG Welding in Hot Curvature Forming of Al5083 Thick Plate

Abstract

The hot curvature forming of large aluminum plates is a process used to produce spherical liquefied natural gas (LNG) tanks. In this study, we describe a method to determine the optimum shape of blanks to minimize the root gap in the forming process. The method proposed in this study was applied to a small-scale model for thick plates with a curvature of 1500 mm and thickness of 6 mm. First, the shape of the curved shells was determined as the target shape, and then a coordinate transform was used to determine the optimum blank shape, which was then iteratively modified using the results of finite element method (FEM) simulations, including heat transfer, until the shape error was minimized. Experiments in forming using Al5083 thick plate were carried out, showing that the method can determine the optimum blank shape within an allowable root gap of 0.1 mm.