A Study on the Effects of Welding Parameters on Weld Bead Geometry in TIG Welding Process of Zircaloy Fuel Pins Using Response Surface Methodology

Abstract This paper investigates influences of welding parameters on weld bead geometry in the tungsten inert gas welding process of Zircaloy-2. Initially, a “Definitive screening design” was employed for identifying the key factors affecting weld bead geometry. Subsequently, response surface methodology was utilized to generate an experimental matrix, and experiments were conducted to analyze the effects of each welding parameter on weld bead geometry. Mathematical models were developed using analysis of variance for two-weld bead geometrical parameters, and their validity was assessed by comparing experimentally obtained values with those predicted by the model. Finally, a dimensionless parameter, the aspect ratio, indicative of the weld quality, was optimized.