Applied Thermal Engineering 51 (2013) 212e217

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Applied Thermal Engineering

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/apthermeng

Numerical analysis on the medium-frequency induction heat

treatment of welded pipe
Yi Han a, b, *, Enlin Yu a, b, Hongliang Zhang c, Daochen Huang b
a
National Engineering Research Center for Equipment and Technology of Cold Strip Rolling, Yanshan University, 438, Hebei Avenue,
Qinhuangdao 066004, China
b
The College of Mechanical Engineering, Yanshan University, Qinhuangdao 066004, China
c
Qinhuangdao Shougang Plate Co., Ltd., Qinhuangdao 066003, China

h i g h l i g h t s

< The inverted triangular temperature field is formed in the weld seam.
< Metallographic structure distribution is corresponded to the temperature field.
< Provided the foundation for the optimization of heat-treatment parameters.

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: The medium-frequency heat treatment of the high-frequency induction welded pipe was simulated
Received 23 March 2012 using the finite element method. Results show that an hourglass-shaped temperature field is formed
Accepted 18 August 2012 over the weld seam across the wall thickness. The influences of the current frequency, the current
Available online 27 August 2012
density and the distance between the coil and weld seam on the heating efficiency and the temperature
difference across the thickness of weld seam are analyzed. The comparative metallographic experiments
Keywords:
are conducted to verify the temperature field. The experimental results show that the medium-frequency
Welded pipe
heat-treatment process parameters have significant effect on the metallographic structure and
Heat treatment
Medium-frequency induction heating
mechanical properties. By a careful selection of the heat-treatment parameters it is possible to obtain
High-frequency welding a temperature field that would optimize the welding quality and the energy consumption. A theoretical
Finite element analysis method is proposed for the quantitative analysis of medium-frequency induction heat-treatment
Electromagnetic thermal coupling production.
Ó 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction affect the integrity of weld application [4e6]. Therefore, post-weld

heat treatment is needed to improve the mechanical toughness of
High-frequency induction welding (HFIW) pipe is widely the welding seam zone [7e10].
applied in the oil exploitation and liquid transfer systems. The steel Only the weld area is heated by induction heating, which is
plate is curled into pipe blank firstly, and then joined by heating the more efficient and environment-friendly than heating the whole
steel materials at the welding edge with a high-frequency welding pipe. The strict control of normalizing temperature is the key
machine [1]. The hourglass-shaped temperature field is formed in technique to obtain high strength and high toughness of the weld
the welding zone due to the combination of skin effect, proximity metal [11]. Therefore, the post-weld medium-frequency heat
effect and heat conduction [2]. The plate edge is heated transiently treatment is a hot research topic around the world [12].
from the room temperature to welding temperature, and signifi- This work uses a double normalizing heat-treatment line as an
cant temperature gradient is formed near the weld seam. Due to the example. The longitudinally-welded pipes undergo high-frequency
effect of plate edge shape and high-frequency welding process, welding, passing through an air-cooling process for 7.57 s. Then
residual stress is formed after welding [3], which may seriously they move to the first induction coil for 3-s heating before entering
the medium-frequency induction apparatus. The pipes pass the
second air-cooling process for 2.6 s, and finally enter the second
* Corresponding author. National Engineering Research Center for Equipment
induction coil for a 3-s heating, are then air-cooled to room
and Technology of Cold Strip Rolling, Yanshan University, 438, Hebei Avenue,
Qinhuangdao 066004, China. Tel.: þ86 13483360823; fax: þ86 335 8387066. temperature. Based on the finite element simulation, the inner
E-mail address: hanyi2008@vip.qq.com (Y. Han). characteristics of the HFIW pipe during medium-frequency

1359-4311/$ e see front matter Ó 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.applthermaleng.2012.08.032
 Y. Han et al. / Applied Thermal Engineering 51 (2013) 212e217 213

water Table 2
ilicon chip The initial parameters.

The outer diameter 219 Coil cross-section (mm2) 30  20

coil of steel pipe (mm)
Distance between the 5.5 Production speed 423
coil and weld seam (mm) of steel pipe (mm/s)
Coil length (mm) 1350 Steel pipe thickness (mm) 8.94
coil Distance between the 3200 Distance between 1100
first induction heater the induction heaters
pipe and the high-frequency (mm)
welding point (mm)
The first induction heater 3500 The second induction 2600
current (the effective heater current (the
value) (A) effective value) (A)
Fig. 1. The medium-frequency induction heat treatment equipment.
The first induction heater 860 The second induction 1150
frequency (Hz) heater frequency (Hz)
induction heating process are studied. This is important because of
the difficulties with the measurement of the internal temperature
distribution, and welded pipe need to be tested through flattening
2.2. Element selection and mesh generation
test [13]. Hence, modelling is essential in understanding the
fundamentals of the process.
Theoretically, the induced eddy current first concentrated in the
skin layer of pipe blank edge. Therefore, at least three to five layer
2. Model of the medium-frequency induction heat-treatment elements should be meshed in the skin depth to ensure the
process calculation accuracy. At the material temperature is 20  C, with the
resistivity r ¼ 1.98  107 U m, and the maximum relative
2.1. Data selection permeabilitym ¼ 200, the current frequency in the coil is f1 ¼ 860 Hz
which is applied to the first heating, or f2 ¼ 1150 Hz to the second
The schematic diagram of the medium-frequency induction heating.
heat-treatment equipment is shown in Fig. 1. The skin depth in the first and the second heat-treatment
The pipe is made of J55 steel, the composition of which is in process respectively is only 5.4  101 mm and 4.7  101 mm.
Table 1.
The initial parameters are shown in Table 2. It should be noted
that the peak value of the alternating current is employed in the
calculation of the excitation current density in the electromagnetic
field simulation of ANSYS. If the excitation current is concentrated
at the inner side of steel pipe close to the coil, the current density in
the coil of the first and the second induction heating are
8.2  107 A/m2 and 6.1  107 A/m2, respectively.
In order to ensure the total austenization of the weld seam, the
normalizing temperature should be larger than the theoretical
value due to the rapid heating by induction. However, this
temperature should not be too high to avoid the creation of too
large grains during cooling, which would impact adversely the
heat-treatment effect [14]. Therefore, the normalizing temperature
range for total austenization is 900e1000  C in this study. The
hourglass-shaped temperature field is assumed as the initial
temperature field on the cross-section of weld seam [2], as shown
in Fig. 2a. In this case, the pipe blank edge has reached the highest
temperature. The arc AD and arc BC in Fig. 2b are the isotherms of
900  C, and points A, B, C, D indicate the zone affected by welding
heat that has structure transformation. The width of this zone is
h0 ¼ 3.9 mm on the top surface. The temperatures of the top and
bottom surfaces (point M and point G) of the weld seam were
1581  C and 1545  C, respectively, in the high-frequency welding,
and fell to 418  C, and 409  C, respectively, after the first air cooling,
and then rose to 860  C and 435  C, respectively, after the first
induction heating. After the second air cooling, the temperatures of
the top and bottom surfaces of the weld seam tended to be uniform,
being 636  C, and 593  C, respectively. During the second medium-
frequency heat-treatment process, their temperatures increased to
1004  C, and 913  C, respectively, and those surfaces were cooled
afterwards to 25  C.

Table 1
Composition of J55 steel.
Fig. 2. The establishment of model: (a) the temperature field in welding; (b) the shape
Chemical composition C Si Mn Ti Nb V P S
of HAZ; (c) finite element model; (d) finite element model after meshing; (e) the
Mass percentage 0.05 0.27 1.32 0.022 0.042 0.03 0.018 0.004
temperature field before the first heat treatment.
214 Y. Han et al. / Applied Thermal Engineering 51 (2013) 212e217

There will be millions of simulation elements if their size would be relative permeability is small. Therefore, the induction current is
of that order of magnitude. However, the electromagnetic field is larger near the seam than on the seam itself due to the interaction
not distributed over the whole pipe blank when the skin depth is of the skin effect and proximity effect. The temperature of the seam
smaller than a third of wall thickness [15]. Therefore, fine elements and its surroundings is higher than the Curie temperature, and the
are used in the meshing of weld heat-affected zone, and the large relative permeability is reduced to 1 at the end of the induction
elements are used elsewhere. The point O is the centre of the steel heating process. The skin depth is 7 mm at this time (the temper-
pipe (Fig. 2c). The meshing of pipe model is shown in Fig. 2d. ature is about 1000  C). The induction current is high in a semicircle
region on the welded pipe cross-section (Fig. 3b), with the centre of
3. The analysis of numerical simulation results semicircle on the seam, and its radius is the skin depth.

3.1. Current distribution 3.2. The temperature distribution

The temperature field in the beginning of the first treatment is After the steel plate is welded and formed, the pipe entered the
shown in Fig. 2e. The selected cross-section passed the centre of the first heat-treatment equipment after a period of air cooling. The
steel pipe. Initially, current is concentrated close to the arc AB in temperature at point M rose to 861  C after the first induction
Fig. 2b due to the skin effect and proximity effect (Fig. 3a). The skin heating, and this temperature is much higher than point G due to
depth is 0.6 mm at this time (the temperature is about 400  C, point the skin effect (Fig. 4a and b).
M) according to the standard skin depth calculation formula.
However, the maximum temperature is at the weld seam whose

Fig. 4. The temperature distribution after the medium-frequency induction heating:

(a) after the first heating; (b) the cross-section of the first heating; (c) after the second
heating; (d) the cross-section of the second heating; (e) the shape of HAZ formed by
heat treatment; (f) the shape of HAZ after welding and heat treatment; (g) the shape of
Fig. 3. The current density distribution on the thickness direction of the first induction HAZ formed by the optimum combination of parameters; (h) the shape of HAZ after
heating: (a) at the beginning of heating; (b) at the end of heating. non-optimal case.
 Y. Han et al. / Applied Thermal Engineering 51 (2013) 212e217 215

The temperature at point G rose to 913  C by the second Although the rate of heating increases with frequency, the heating
medium-frequency induction heating after 2.6 s air-cooling efficiency varies across the weld seam. For example, the tempera-
process, which reached the requirement of normalizing (The ture of point M is higher than 900  C when the temperature of point
temperature of 900  C is the desired temperature). Meanwhile, G reached 900  C. The top surface heat-affected zone h0 (the
inverted triangular temperature field is formed in the weld seam on boundary of the HAZ before the heat treatment) after the initial
the wall thickness direction (Fig. 4c and d). The arcs EG and FG are high-frequency heating is expanded to h1 (the boundary of the HAZ
the isotherms of 900  C, and the temperatures in the triangle after the heat treatment) after the heating. Overheating area is
defined by points E, F and G all reached 900  C (Fig. 4e and f). Hence, generated above 1150 Hz, which is the crosshatched area APE and
the weld seam MG has reached the requirement of normalizing. BQF in Fig. 4f. The suitable current frequency should be 850e
Considering that the minimum temperature required in austeniti- 1150 Hz.
zation of the weld seam microstructures is 900  C, and that
significant changes take place in microstructures and the corre- 3.3.2. The effect of current density on the heating efficiency
sponding performances at a temperature above 900  C, we define The simulation shows that the weld seam temperature increases
the isotherm at 900  C as the boundary of the HAZ (heat-affected with current density (Fig. 5b). The temperature of point M rose to
zone). 1200  C when the density increased to 1  108 A/m2, which is much
higher than the desired normalizing temperature. Therefore, the
3.3. The effect of parameters on the heating efficiency and weld seam is overheated, which will expand the crosshatched area
temperature difference and decrease the heating efficiency. In more severe cases, it might
lead to abnormally coarsened ferrite grains in the normalized weld
The ideal temperature field is shown in Fig. 4g. The temperature zone, and a significant reduction in weld seam toughness. The
of heat-treatment region defined by points E, F and G not only suitable current density should be 0.8e1.0  108 A/m2.
reached 900  C, but is also not too large as is the case in Fig. 4h.
3.3.3. The effect of the distance between the coil and weld seam on
3.3.1. The impact of current frequency on the heating efficiency the heating efficiency
Small skin depth and highly concentrated heating can be ob- The shorter this distance, the stronger is the proximity effect
tained when the frequency is high. The strength of the skin effect (Fig. 5c), and the more heating is applied to the point M. Hence, an
increases with this frequency, and the rate of increase of the top appropriate reduction in this distance can increase heating effi-
surface temperature is higher due to the proximity effect than at ciency and shorten heating time. The suitable distance between the
the bottom surface, which is heated mainly by conduction (Fig. 5a). coil and weld seam should be 5e7 mm.

Fig. 5. The effect of the heat-treatment parameters on the heating efficiency and temperature difference: (a) current frequency; (b) current density; (c) distance between the coil
and weld seam.
216 Y. Han et al. / Applied Thermal Engineering 51 (2013) 212e217

3.3.4. The effect of current frequency on the temperature difference

of weld seam
The weld seam surface temperature rises as the heating frequency
increases from 700 Hz to 1200 Hz. However, at the same time the
temperature difference between the top and bottom surface increases
gradually from 200  C to 630  C due to a difference in the modes of
heat transfer, so the distance between the curves widens (Fig. 5a).
An excessive temperature difference across the weld seam
thickness enlarges the overheated region in Fig. 4f, thus a lower
frequency should be selected. Nevertheless, frequency should not
be too low, since insufficient heat would transfer to the lower half
of the seam, resulting in enlarged areas PDG and QCG (Fig. 4f). The
suitable frequency was found to be 850e1150 Hz.

3.3.5. The effect of current density on the temperature difference of

weld seam
The temperature difference between the upper and the lower
surfaces gradually increases from 290  C to 600  C when the current
density increases from 5  107 A/m2 to 1  108 A/m2 (Fig. 5b).
Meanwhile, in order to ensure that heat is effectively conducted to
the lower part of weld seam and to avoid the expansion of the
heating blind zone, the current density should not be too small. The
suitable current density should be 0.8e1.0  108 A/m2.

3.3.6. The effect of the distance between the coil and weld seam on
the temperature difference of weld seam
When the distance between the coil and weld seam increased
from 3 mm to 11 mm, the temperature difference between the
upper and the lower surface gradually decreased from 470  C to
180  C (Fig. 5c). The difference is relative large when the distance is
smaller than 5 mm. Since the small distance is a disadvantage for
Fig. 6. The metallurgical structures: (a) the macro metallographic structure before the
the coil water cooling, the working life of coil will be decreased post-weld heat treatment; (b) the macro metallographic structure after the post-weld
when the distance is too small. The amplitude of temperature heat treatment; (c) the metallographic structure of the base metal; (d) microstructure
difference variation is significantly reduced when the distance is of the point M before the heat treatment; (e) microstructure of the point N before the
heat treatment; (f) microstructure of the point G before the heat treatment; (g)
larger than 7 mm. Therefore, the suitable distance between the coil
microstructure of the point M after the heat treatment; (h) microstructure of the point
and weld seam is about 6 mm. N after the heat treatment; (i) microstructure of the point G after the heat treatment.

4. Metallographic experiment shown in Fig. 6def, and the metallographic structure of the upper
and lower part is coarser than in the central part. The structures
It is difficult to measure accurately on-line the temperature have carbon-rich phase characteristics of the high-frequency
distribution across the weld thickness in the HFIW pipe welding welding seam such as the existing of cementite and martensite. The
process. However, the metallographic structure of the weld seam and strength of the seam increased and its toughness decreased, which
heat-affected area are obviously changed during the heat treatment. indicates the potential problems with the HFIW pipe.
Therefore, the effect of the selected heat-treatment temperature can The structures at point M, N and G after the heat treatment are
be evaluated through the analysis and comparison of the metallo- shown in Fig. 6gei. The bainite and ferrite structure after heating
graphic structure before and after the heat treatment [16]. are austenitization and recrystallization, then replaced by ferrite
After the etching with 4% saltpeter alcohol solution, the macro and pearlite. The equiaxed fine polygonal ferrite is the main
metallographic structures before and after the post-weld heat component and the pearlite is the auxiliary component (Fig. 6c).
treatment are shown in Fig. 6a and b. The base metal is composed of The grain size of ferrite is increased with the distance closed to the
equiaxed fine polygonal ferrite and pearlite (Fig. 6c). The heat- top surface, which proved the weld seam heating temperature is
affected area width on the upper surface is h0 ¼ 4.1 mm, increased from the bottom to the top, and it is related to the heating
h1 ¼ 5.9 mm, and these values match well the results of simulation, process of the temperature field in Fig. 4d (the temperature of
i.e. h0 ¼ 3.9 mm and h1 ¼ 6.2 mm. The width of the heat-affected points M, N and G is 1004  C, 966  C and 913  C, respectively).
area is obviously increased after the heat treatment due to the
overheating of the crosshatched area in Fig. 4f. The range of the 5. Conclusions
macro metallographic structure is obviously larger after the heat
treatment. The area with the changes in the macro metallographic Based on the finite element software ANSYS, the temperature
structure is consistent with the area formed by EFQCDP in Fig. 4f. distribution of HFIW pipe after the medium-frequency induction
The hourglass opening of the upper half was evidently greater after heating process is studied. The parameters influencing the heating
heat treatment than before heating, while the contour of the lower efficiency and the temperature difference on weld seam are
half was clearer, so a heating dead spot apparently exists in the grid analyzed. Metallographic experiments were conducted to verify the
region shown in Fig. 4f. modelling results. The following conclusions can be drawn:
According to the modelling, the peak temperature of the seam is
more than 1350  C before the heat treatment (Fig. 2a). The micro- 1. Inverted triangular temperature field is formed in the weld
scopic metallographic structures at point M, N, G of weld seam are seam after the medium-frequency heat treatment. The
 Y. Han et al. / Applied Thermal Engineering 51 (2013) 212e217 217

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