Modeling damage evolution in friction stir welding process

The evolution of voids (damage) in friction stir welding processes was simulated using a void growth model that incorporates viscoplastic flow and strain hardening of incompressible materials during plastic deformation. The void growth rate is expressed as a function of the void volume fraction, the effective deformation rate, and the ratio of the mean stress to the strength of the material. A steady-state Eulerian finite element formulation was employed to calculate the flow and thermal fields in three dimensions, and the evolution of the strength and damage was evaluated by integrating the evolution equations along the streamlines obtained in the Eulerian configuration. The distribution of internal voids within the material was qualitatively compared with experimental results, and a good agreement was observed in terms of the spatial location of voids. The effects of pin geometry and operational parameters such as tool rotational and travel speeds on the evolution of damage were also examined.