Underwater Welding 2

UNDERWATER
WELDING
TOPICS DISCUSSED DURING THE
PRESENTATION
• WHAT IS UNDERWATER WELDING?
• EVOLUTION OF UNDERWATER WELDING.
• HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM NORMAL WELDING.
• CLASSIFICATION OF UNDERWATER WELDING.
• DRY AND WET WELDING TECHNIQUES.
• PRINCIPLE OF OPERARTION AND WORKING.
• ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES.
• RISKS INVOLVED.
• FUTURE SCOPE OF RESEARCH.
• CONCLUSION.
Not a good idea
EVOLUTION OF UNDERWATER WELDING
• The first underwater welding was carried out at a British Naval
dockyard to seal the rivets of a ship located well below the water line.
• Underwater Welding was long ignored and misunderstood as welds
which are poor and are prone to show porosity and cracks as well as
low mechanical attributes such as low ductility.
• In the recent years, due to the high demand for natural gases,
number of offshore structures such as Oil rigs, Drilling pipes, Ships,
etc. Underwater welding was proposed as the ideal solution.
• With time and proper research and developments, Underwater
Welding projects - both Dry & Wet welding - are being extensively
used for complex and difficult welds with high quality and precision.
HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM NORMAL
WELDING
• The treacherous environment in which the welder has to work.
• The skill set required for such a job, which means the welder has to
be a certified diver.
• The equipment, planning and execution involved is definitely a cut
above ordinary.
CLASSIFICATION OF UNDERWATER
WELDING
Underwater welding is broadly classified into two processes.
1. WET WELDING
2. DRY WELDING
WET WELDING
• This process is used underwater where the weld is in direct contact
with the surrounding wet atmosphere.
• A specially designed electrode which is water proof is used and

welding is carried out as one would do in normal conditions.
• The increase in freedom of movement makes the wet welding more

effective, efficient and economical method.
EXAMPLES OF WET WELDING
PRINCIPLE OF WET WELDING PROCESS
• The work, which is to be welded, is connected to one side of an
electric circuit and a metal electrode on the other side completing the
circuit.
• The two parts of the circuit are bought together but are spaced
adequately.
• The Current flowing in the circuit tries to jump the gap resulting in arc
formation resulting in melting of the work metal creating a metal
pool.
• At the similar time the tip of electrode melts and the metal droplets
are sent into the molten pool.
• During the same time the flux surrounding the weld melts, which
therefore form the shielding gas that is then used to stabilize the weld.
• The arc that burns inside a cavity, which is formed inside the flux
coating.
• The flux coating is designed to burn slower than work metal.

WORKING OF WET WELDING
• In wet welding process, Manual Metal Arc Welding is used.
• The type of power supply used is DC current with negative polarity.
• When positive polarity is used, electrolysis will take place causing
rapid deterioration of the metal parts in electrode holder.
• The welding machine frame must be securely grounded to the ship
• The welding setup must include a positive type of switch which
should be operable by diver. It is generally known as knife switch and
is used in emergency situations.
• This knife switch must be capable of breaking the circuit completely.
WORKING OF WET WELDING PROCESS
• The electrodes used must be completely insulated.
• All the wires and cables must be fitted with extra insulation so that
water cannot come in contact with the metal parts
• If the insulation leaks, part of the current will leak away due to sea
water coming in contact with the conductor and hence no power will
be left for welding.
ENGINEERING MATERIALS USED
• Steels with carbon % of 0.1 and steels with carbon equivalent of 0.4%
are generally used for Wet welding.
• If the Carbon equivalent is higher than 0.4 %, it results in Hydrogen

induced Cold cracking in heat affected zone at base of material and
can also lead to undesired hardness.
ADVANTAGES OF WET WELDING
• Low cost and high versatility make this process highly demanding.
• Speed at which this can be carried out also adds to the advantages.
• Highly unreachable places can be reached and welded using this

process.
• No enclosures are needed hence time and money is saved.

DISADVANTAGES OF WET WELDING
• High quenching rate due to the surrounding atmosphere makes the
weld more tensile but it makes it more brittle and increases the
hardness and porosity.
• Hydrogen embrittlement also plays a huge part in forming cracks in

the weld, and these cracks over time could increase and result in
catastrophic failure.
DRY WELDING PROCESS
• It is a welding process, which is carried out in habitat sealed around
the structure to be welded.
• The chamber is filled with a mixture of Helium and Oxygen, which are
pumped at or above the pressure required for the weld.
• The area under the floor at which welding takes place is open to sea
water therefore the welding process takes pace in dry atmosphere
but it is done at hydrostatic pressure.
DRY WELDING PROCESS
• Different ways of Dry welding are defined here under:
(a) Dry Habitat Welding
(b) Dry Chamber Welding
DRY HABITAT WELDING
• It is a process in which the water temperature is maintained at
ambient condition in such a way that the welder does not require a
diving gear.
• As shown in the diagram, the divers are in completely dry atmosphere
and don’t require a suit.
DRY CHAMBER WELDING
• It is a process in which welding takes place at ambient temperature in
a simple open bottom chamber which can house only the head and
shoulder of the diver.
• The welder is partially immersed in water but the welding is done in
dry habitat
ADVANTAGES OF DRY WELDING
• Welding process in this method is done in chamber immune from
ocean currents & marine hazards. The habitat is well illuminated and
has its own Environment Control System.
• The welds obtained in this method are comparable to one done on

land, because the chamber is completely insulated from water so the
chances of quenching and the formation of Hydrogen on weld is low.
• The preparation of joint, Pipe alignment and NDT (Non-Destructive

Testing) can be directly monitored visually from the surface.
DISADVANTAGES OF DRY WELDING
• The habitat used in this welding process is very complex and requires
large quantities of equipment and support system for diver.
• The process costs $80,000 for a single welding job, and habitat once
made cannot be used again if the welding joint is different
RISKS INVOLVED
• The one most common risk is the probability of electric shocks to the
diver. Hence, adequate measures are always taken to ensure proper
insulation of welding equipment
• Secondly, hydrogen and oxygen are produced by the arc in wet
welding. Special precautions must be taken to avoid the build-up of
pockets of gas, which could be potentially explosive.
• The biggest area of risk is to the heath of the diver due to the possible
induction of nitrogen into the blood stream
• It is also very dicey or tricky to be assured of the weld as it is situated
underwater and there is every chance that a defect might be still
unnoticed in the structure.
CONCLUSION
• Wet welding is cheaper but the quality of welds is quite weak.
• Dry welding product has high quality and strength but is expensive.
• Underwater welding is usually employed in marine engineering where

large Oil rigs, Naval Ships and Off-shore settlements are required to be
repaired immediately.
• Cofferdam and Hyperbaric welding are usually carried out for welding off
shore structures, submerged parts and underwater supporting harbor, etc.
ANY QUESTIONS??

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UNDERWATER

Underwater welding is broadly classified into two processes.

• A specially designed electrode which is water proof is used and

• The increase in freedom of movement makes the wet welding more

• The flux coating is designed to burn slower than work metal.

• If the Carbon equivalent is higher than 0.4 %, it results in Hydrogen

• Highly unreachable places can be reached and welded using this

• No enclosures are needed hence time and money is saved.

• Hydrogen embrittlement also plays a huge part in forming cracks in

• The welds obtained in this method are comparable to one done on

• The preparation of joint, Pipe alignment and NDT (Non-Destructive

• Underwater welding is usually employed in marine engineering where

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