An underwater wet arc welding or additive manufacturing device and use method

Abstract

The present invention discloses an underwater wet arc welding or additive manufacturing device and method of use, comprising a composite welding torch, a MIG welder, a wire feeder, a welding robot, and a pressurization system. The composite welding torch comprises a conductive nozzle, a fixed wall, a row of hole nozzles, and an arc nozzle. The conductive nozzle is disposed within the space enclosed by the fixed wall. A wire feeding channel connected to the conductive nozzle is provided in the middle of the fixed wall. The wire feeding channel is connected to the wire feeder. A row of hole nozzles is connected to the inner side of each end of the bottom of the fixed wall. Water inlets connected to each row of hole nozzles are provided on the outer side. Each water inlet is connected to the pressurization system. A arc nozzle is connected to each other at the other two ends of the bottom of the fixed wall. Each arc nozzle is connected to each water inlet. The arc nozzles at both ends are located on either side of the conductive nozzle. The present invention can clean surface attachments at the location to be repaired before and after the operation, and can simultaneously remove slag and spatter attached to the surface of welding and additive components during the operation, thereby improving weld formation and weld joint quality.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to the field of underwater welding and additive repair technology, and in particular to an underwater wet arc welding or additive manufacturing device and a method for using the device. Background Art

[0002] Marine engineering structures are subject to long-term impact and corrosion from seawater, making them susceptible to structural cracking and damage, leading to significant safety incidents and economic losses. Underwater wet arc welding and additive in-situ repair technologies, due to their simple equipment and high repair efficiency, are widely used for rapid in-situ repair of damaged structures, such as ships. However, the high pressure, rapid cooling, and hydrogen-oxygen-rich nature of the aquatic environment severely impact the stability of the wet arc welding and additive repair processes, significantly reducing the formation and performance of structures repaired using wet arc welding and additive in-situ repair. Currently, existing underwater wet welding and additive repair technologies still rely on divers holding arc electrodes, resulting in low efficiency and difficulty ensuring structural stability. To ensure operational safety, their applicability to waters is also severely limited. In recent years, the use of flux-cored wire, leveraging the combined slag-gas shielding effect to protect underwater wet arc welding and repair processes, has become a key development direction in this field. Furthermore, the use of flux-cored wire can improve repair efficiency and accuracy, enable automation of the repair process and equipment, and overcome the limitations of deeper and more complex water depths. However, the slag-forming agent in the flux-cored wire causes slag to adhere to the surface of the structure, and the metal spatter scattered on the surface is often difficult to remove, posing a significant challenge to the automation of repair equipment. This effect is more pronounced during non-horizontal or vertical welding processes. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The purpose of the present invention is to provide an underwater wet arc welding or additive manufacturing device and a method of use to solve the problems existing in the above-mentioned prior art. The surface attachments of the position to be repaired can be cleaned before and after the operation, and the slag and spatter attached to the surface of the welding and additive components can be removed simultaneously during the operation, thereby improving the weld formation and the quality of the weld joint.

[0004] To achieve the above object, the present invention provides the following solutions:

[0005] The present invention provides an underwater wet arc welding or additive manufacturing device, comprising a composite welding torch, a MIG welder, a wire feeder, a welding robot and a pressurizing system, wherein the welding robot is connected to the composite welding torch, the composite welding torch is connected to the MIG welder, the composite welding torch comprises a conductive nozzle, a fixed wall, a hole-row nozzle and an arc-shaped nozzle, the conductive nozzle is arranged in a space surrounded by the fixed wall, a wire feeding channel connected to the conductive nozzle is provided in the middle of the fixed wall, the wire feeding channel is connected to the wire feeder, and the inner sides of the two ends of the bottom of the fixed wall are respectively connected to A row of hole nozzles is provided with water inlet holes connected to each row of hole nozzles on the outside, each water inlet hole is connected to the boosting system, and each row of hole nozzles faces the working area and is used to release high-pressure water jets to remove slag and welding spatter on the weld or the surface of the additive structure. The other two ends of the bottom of the fixed wall are respectively connected to an arc nozzle, and each arc nozzle is respectively connected to each water inlet hole. The arc nozzles at both ends are respectively located on both sides of the conductive nozzle, and are respectively used to release high-pressure water jets to pre-clean the working area before and after the operation.

[0006] Preferably, the bottoms of both ends of the fixed wall connected to the hole-draining nozzle are respectively sealed with movable walls, and the bottom of the movable wall is provided with an outwardly inclined linear nozzle and an inwardly inclined water outlet hole, and the linear nozzle and the water outlet hole are connected to the water inlet hole through a first water passage interconnected in the movable wall and the fixed wall, and a wear-resistant nozzle is connected to the water outlet hole.

[0007] Preferably, a sealing gasket is provided between the bottom surface of the fixed wall and the top surface of the movable wall, and the fixed wall and the movable wall are fixedly connected together by bolts; a sealing gasket is provided between the top surface of the arc-shaped sprinkler head and the bottom surface of the fixed wall, and an arc-shaped linear water spray outlet is provided at the bottom of the arc-shaped sprinkler head, and the arc-shaped linear water spray outlet is connected to the water inlet hole through a second water passage interconnected between the arc-shaped sprinkler head and the fixed wall, and the arc-shaped sprinkler head and the fixed wall are fixedly connected together by bolts.

[0008] Preferably, a control system is further included, and the MIG welder, the wire feeder, the welding robot and the boosting system are all connected to the control system.

[0009] Preferably, the fixed wall, the movable wall and the hole-row nozzle are made of beryllium bronze, and the arc-shaped nozzle is made of stainless steel.

[0010] Preferably, the boosting system includes a water pump and a boosting pump, the water pump is connected to the boosting pump via a pressure-resistant water pipe, the boosting pump is connected to the two water inlets via a pressure-resistant water pipe, and the pressure generated by the boosting pump is greater than or equal to 20 MPa.

[0011] Preferably, the surface of the hole-row nozzle with the water outlet holes is tilted downward and faces the rear of the conductive nozzle in the direction of movement of the conductive nozzle; the angle between the surface of the hole-row nozzle with the water outlet holes and the plane formed by the axis of the wire feeding channel and the direction of movement of the conductive nozzle is 40° to 70°, and the angle between the surface of the hole-row nozzle with the water outlet holes and the plane where the bottom end of the fixed wall is located is 45° to 75°.

[0012] Preferably, the lower ends of the arc-shaped nozzle and the movable wall are 15 mm to 20 mm lower than the plane where the lower end of the conductive nozzle is located.

[0013] Preferably, the arc-shaped nozzle is a concave arc-shaped nozzle or a convex arc-shaped nozzle.

[0014] A method for using the above-mentioned underwater wet arc welding or additive manufacturing device comprises the following steps:

[0015] (1) Connecting and debugging the composite welding torch, the MIG welding machine, the wire feeder, the welding robot, and the boosting system;

[0016] (2) introducing the flux-cored welding wire in the wire feeder into the composite welding torch, starting the boost system to introduce high-pressure water flow into the composite welding torch, placing the composite welding torch above the part to be repaired with the assistance of the welding robot, and moving along the repair path to clean the surface of the substrate to be repaired;

[0017] (3) adjusting the welding or additive repair parameters and the water flow pressure according to the working conditions, guiding the flux-cored welding wire to extend beyond the bottom end of the conductive tip and retaining an extension of 16 mm, then starting the MIG welder and performing welding or additive operations along a predetermined path;

[0018] (4) After the operation is completed, the MIG welder is turned off, and the composite welding torch continues to move until it is completely beyond the operation area, and then the boost system is turned off to complete the operation.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has achieved the following technical effects:

[0020] The present invention provides an underwater wet arc welding or additive manufacturing device and a method for using the device. By arranging arc-shaped nozzles on both sides of the conductive nozzle, the arc-shaped nozzles on both sides release high-pressure water flow to clean the surface attachments of the position to be repaired before and after the operation. During the operation, the high-pressure water beam released by the hole-discharging nozzle can synchronously remove the slag and welding spatter on the surface of the weld or additive structure, obtaining a uniform and flat surface, creating conditions for the next welding or additive operation, thereby improving the weld formation and the quality of the weld joint. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present invention or the technical solutions in the prior art, the following briefly introduces the drawings required for use in the embodiments. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present invention. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying any creative work.

[0022] Figure 1 A schematic structural diagram of the underwater wet arc welding or additive manufacturing device provided by the present invention;

[0023] Figure 2 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the composite welding torch of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 3 for Figure 2 Middle AA section;

[0025] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the structure of the composite welding torch of the present invention when the arc nozzle is a recessed arc nozzle;

[0026] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the structure of the composite welding torch of the present invention when the arc nozzle is a convex arc nozzle;

[0027] In the figure: 1-composite welding torch, 2-MIG welding machine, 3-wire feeder, 4-welding robot, 5-boosting system, 6-conductive nozzle, 7-fixed wall, 8-row hole nozzle, 9-arc nozzle, 10-wire feeding channel, 11-water inlet, 12-movable wall, 13-linear nozzle, 14-water outlet, 15-first water passage, 16-sealing gasket, 17-control system, 18-water pump, 19-boosting pump, 20-flux-cored wire, 21-arc linear water nozzle, 22-second water passage. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] The following will clearly and completely describe the technical solutions in the embodiments of the present invention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only part of the embodiments of the present invention, not all of the embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by ordinary technicians in this field without making creative efforts are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0029] The purpose of the present invention is to provide an underwater wet arc welding or additive manufacturing device and a method of use to solve the problems existing in the prior art. The surface attachments of the repaired location can be cleaned before and after the operation, and the slag and spatter attached to the surface of the welding and additive components can be removed simultaneously during the operation, thereby improving the weld formation and the quality of the weld joint.

[0030] In order to make the above-mentioned objects, features and advantages of the present invention more obvious and easy to understand, the present invention is further described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments.

[0031] like Figures 1-4 As shown, this embodiment provides an underwater wet arc welding or additive manufacturing device, including a composite welding torch 1, a MIG welder 2, a wire feeder 3, a welding robot 4 and a booster system 5. The welding robot 4 is connected to the composite welding torch 1, and the composite welding torch 1 is connected to the MIG welder 2. The composite welding torch 1 includes a conductive nozzle 6, a fixed wall 7, a hole nozzle 8 and an arc nozzle 9. The conductive nozzle 6 is arranged in a space surrounded by the fixed wall 7. A wire feeding channel 10 connected to the conductive nozzle 6 is provided in the middle of the fixed wall 7. The wire feeding channel 10 is connected to the wire feeder 3. Both ends of the bottom of the fixed wall 7 A row of hole nozzles 8 are connected to the inside respectively, and water inlet holes 11 connected to each row of hole nozzles 8 are respectively set on the outside. Each water inlet hole 11 is connected to the boosting system 5. Each row of hole nozzles 8 faces the working area and is used to release high-pressure water beams to remove slag and welding spatter on the weld or the surface of the additive structure. The other two ends of the bottom of the fixed wall 7 are respectively connected to an arc nozzle 9, and each arc nozzle 9 is respectively connected to each water inlet hole 11. The arc nozzles 9 at both ends are respectively located on both sides of the conductive nozzle 6, and are respectively used to release high-pressure water flow to pre-clean the working area before and after the operation.

[0032] This device is provided with arc-shaped nozzles 9 on both sides of the conductive nozzle 6. The two arc-shaped nozzles 9 are respectively located on the front and rear sides of the conductive nozzle 6. The arc-shaped nozzles 9 on both sides release high-pressure water flow under the action of the boosting system 5 to clean the surface attachments of the position to be repaired before and after the operation. A row of hole nozzles 8 are respectively connected to the inner side of the two ends of the bottom of the fixed wall 7. The two row of hole nozzles 8 are respectively located on the left and right sides of the conductive nozzle 6. During operation, the row of hole nozzles 8 release high-pressure water beams under the action of the boosting system 5 to synchronously remove slag and welding spatter on the surface of the weld or additive structure, obtain a uniform and flat surface, create conditions for the next welding or additive operation, and thus improve the weld formation and the quality of the weld joint.

[0033] In this embodiment, the bottom ends of the fixed wall 7, to which the row of hole nozzles 8 are connected, are sealedly connected to movable walls 12. The bottom of the movable wall 12 is provided with an outwardly inclined linear nozzle 13 and an inwardly inclined water outlet 14. The linear nozzle 13 and the water outlet 14 are connected to the water inlet 11 via a first water passage 15 interconnected within the movable wall 12 and the fixed wall 7. A wear-resistant nozzle is connected to the water outlet 14. The high-pressure water jet released through the water outlet 14 and the wear-resistant nozzle connected thereto can clean splashes adhering to the substrate surface. The linear nozzle 13 forms a high-flow water curtain, which can pre-clean the surface of the substrate to be repaired. Once the water curtain is formed, excess gas accumulated in the cavity enclosed by the fixed wall 7 is carried away from the welding area in the form of tiny bubbles under the action of the high-pressure water flow, rather than cyclically rising as large bubbles. This reduces the periodic oscillation of the welding torch caused by internal buoyancy changes and enhances the stability of the structure. Each water outlet in the row of hole nozzles 8 is connected to a wear-resistant nozzle.

[0034] In this embodiment, a sealing gasket 16 is provided between the bottom surface of the fixed wall 7 and the top surface of the movable wall 12. The fixed wall 7 and movable wall 12 are fixedly connected together by bolts. A sealing gasket 16 is also provided between the top surface of the curved sprinkler head 9 and the bottom surface of the fixed wall 7. The curved sprinkler head 9 has an arc-shaped linear water spray port 21 at its bottom. The arc-shaped linear water spray port 21 communicates with the water inlet 11 through a second water passage 22 interconnected within the curved sprinkler head 9 and the fixed wall 7. The curved sprinkler head 9 and the fixed wall 7 are fixedly connected together by bolts. The provision of the sealing gasket 16 ensures an airtight connection between the fixed wall 7, movable wall 12, and curved sprinkler head 9. The bolted connection of the fixed wall 7, movable wall 12, and curved sprinkler head 9 provides a convenient and quick connection.

[0035] In this embodiment, a control system 17 is further included, and the MIG welder 2, the wire feeder 3, the welding robot 4, and the booster system 5 are all connected to the control system 17. The control system can adjust the parameters of the MIG welder 2, control the synchronous wire feeding of the wire feeder 3, control the water flow pressure, and control the movement of the welding robot 4.

[0036] In this embodiment, the fixed wall 7 , the movable wall 12 and the row hole nozzle 8 are made of beryllium bronze, and the arc nozzle 9 is made of stainless steel.

[0037] In this embodiment, the boosting system 5 includes a water pump 18 and a boosting pump 19. The water pump 18 is connected to the boosting pump 19 through a pressure-resistant water pipe. The boosting pump 19 is connected to the two water inlet holes 11 through a pressure-resistant water pipe. The pressure generated by the boosting pump 19 is greater than or equal to 20 MPa.

[0038] In this embodiment, the surface of the orifice nozzle 8 with the water outlet is tilted downward and faces rearward of the conductive nozzle 6 in the direction of movement of the conductive nozzle 6; the angle between the surface of the orifice nozzle 8 with the water outlet and the plane formed by the axis of the wire feeding channel 10 and the direction of movement of the conductive nozzle 6 is 40° to 70°, preferably 60°, and the angle between the surface of the orifice nozzle 8 with the water outlet and the plane on which the bottom end of the fixed wall 7 is located is 45° to 75°, preferably 60°. The surface of the orifice nozzle 8 with the water outlet is tilted downward and faces rearward of the conductive nozzle 6 in the direction of movement of the conductive nozzle 6. The high-pressure water jet generated by the orifice nozzle 8 follows the conductive nozzle 6 to synchronously clean the slag and welding spatter on the weld or additive structure surface behind it. The high-pressure water jet will generate an oblique force on the slag and welding spatter. The backward component of the oblique force will facilitate the cleaning of the slag and welding spatter, thereby improving the cleaning effect.

[0039] In this embodiment, the lower ends of the arc-shaped nozzle 9 and the movable wall 12 are both 15 to 20 mm, preferably 16 mm, below the plane of the lower end of the contact nozzle 6. This arrangement creates a stable cavity composed of water vapor and arc gas during the arc combustion process, reducing or even eliminating the adverse effects of the water environment near the arc, further optimizing the structure of underwater wet arc welded parts or additive manufacturing components.

[0040] In this embodiment, the arc nozzle 9 is a concave arc nozzle, which is suitable for underwater wet arc additive operations. Figure 5 As shown, the arc nozzle 9 can also be a convex arc nozzle. The convex arc nozzle is suitable for underwater wet multi-layer, multi-pass butt welding of thick plates. By providing the arc nozzle 9, pre-cleaning and post-cleaning treatments can be performed on the surface of underwater wet arc welding welds with grooves or multi-layer, multi-pass additive structures, expanding the cleaning range and increasing the number of cleaning times, thereby enhancing the surface cleaning effect.

[0041] A method for using the above-mentioned underwater wet arc welding or additive manufacturing device comprises the following steps:

[0042] (1) Connect and debug the composite welding torch 1, MIG welding machine 2, wire feeder 3, welding robot 4 and booster system 5;

[0043] (2) The flux-cored welding wire 20 in the wire feeder 3 is introduced into the composite welding torch 1, and the booster system 5 is started to introduce high-pressure water flow into the composite welding torch 1. With the assistance of the welding robot 4, the composite welding torch 1 is placed above the part to be repaired, and moves along the repair path to clean the surface of the substrate to be repaired;

[0044] (3) adjusting the welding or additive repair parameters and water flow pressure according to the working conditions, guiding the flux-cored welding wire 20 to extend beyond the bottom end of the conductive tip 6 and retaining an extension of 16 mm, then starting the MIG welder 2 and performing welding or additive operations along the predetermined path;

[0045] (4) After the operation is completed, the MIG welder 2 is turned off, and the composite welding torch 1 continues to move until it is completely beyond the operation area, and then the boost system 5 is turned off to complete the operation.

[0046] The present invention uses specific examples to illustrate the principles and implementation methods of the present invention. The above examples are only intended to help understand the method and core concept of the present invention. At the same time, those skilled in the art will find that the specific implementation methods and application scopes may vary based on the concept of the present invention. In summary, the contents of this specification should not be construed as limiting the present invention.

Claims

1. An underwater wet arc welding or additive manufacturing device, characterized in that: The invention comprises a composite welding torch, a MIG welder, a wire feeder, a welding robot and a pressurizing system, wherein the welding robot is connected to the composite welding torch, and the composite welding torch is connected to the MIG welder. The composite welding torch comprises a conductive nozzle, a fixed wall, a hole-row nozzle and an arc-shaped nozzle, wherein the conductive nozzle is arranged in a space surrounded by the fixed wall, a wire feeding channel connected to the conductive nozzle is provided in the middle of the fixed wall, and the wire feeding channel is connected to the wire feeder, an hole-row nozzle is connected to the inner side of each of the two ends of the bottom of the fixed wall, and a water inlet hole connected to each of the hole-row nozzles is provided on the outer side, each of the water inlets is connected to the pressurizing system, and each of the hole-row nozzles faces the working area and is used to release a high-pressure water beam to remove slag and welding spatter on the surface of the weld or the additive structure, and an arc-shaped nozzle is connected to the other two ends of the bottom of the fixed wall, each of the arc-shaped nozzles is connected to each of the water inlets, and the arc-shaped nozzles at the two ends are respectively located on both sides of the conductive nozzle and are used to release high-pressure water flow to pre-clean and clean the working area before and after the operation; The bottoms of both ends of the fixed wall connected to the row hole nozzle are respectively sealed with movable walls, and the bottom of the movable wall is provided with an outwardly inclined linear nozzle and an inwardly inclined water outlet hole, and the linear nozzle and the water outlet hole are connected to the water inlet hole through a first water passage interconnected in the movable wall and the fixed wall, and the water outlet hole is connected to a wear-resistant nozzle; A sealing gasket is provided between the bottom surface of the fixed wall and the top surface of the movable wall, and the fixed wall and the movable wall are fixedly connected together by bolts; a sealing gasket is provided between the top surface of the arc-shaped sprinkler head and the bottom surface of the fixed wall, and an arc-linear water spray outlet is provided at the bottom of the arc-shaped sprinkler head, and the arc-linear water spray outlet is connected to the water inlet hole through a second water passage interconnected between the arc-shaped sprinkler head and the fixed wall, and the arc-shaped sprinkler head and the fixed wall are fixedly connected together by bolts.

2. The underwater wet arc welding or additive manufacturing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: It also includes a control system, and the MIG welder, the wire feeder, the welding robot and the boosting system are all connected to the control system.

3. The underwater wet arc welding or additive manufacturing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The fixed wall, the movable wall and the row hole nozzle are made of beryllium bronze, and the arc-shaped nozzle is made of stainless steel.

4. The underwater wet arc welding or additive manufacturing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The boosting system includes a water pump and a boosting pump. The water pump is connected to the boosting pump via a pressure-resistant water pipe. The boosting pump is connected to the two water inlets via a pressure-resistant water pipe. The pressure generated by the boosting pump is greater than or equal to 20 MPa.

5. The underwater wet arc welding or additive manufacturing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The surface of the hole-row nozzle with the water outlet holes is tilted downward and faces the rear of the conductive nozzle in the direction of movement of the conductive nozzle; the angle between the surface of the hole-row nozzle with the water outlet holes and the plane formed by the axis of the wire feeding channel and the direction of movement of the conductive nozzle is 40°~70°, and the angle between the surface of the hole-row nozzle with the water outlet holes and the plane where the bottom end of the fixed wall is located is 45°~75°.

6. The underwater wet arc welding or additive manufacturing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The lower ends of the arc-shaped nozzle and the movable wall are both 15 mm to 20 mm lower than the plane where the lower end of the conductive nozzle is located.

7. The underwater wet arc welding or additive manufacturing device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The arc-shaped spray nozzle is a concave arc-shaped spray nozzle or a convex arc-shaped spray nozzle.

8. A method for using the underwater wet arc welding or additive manufacturing device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that: The following steps are involved: (1) Connecting and debugging the composite welding torch, the MIG welding machine, the wire feeder, the welding robot and the boosting system; (2) introducing the flux-cored welding wire in the wire feeder into the composite welding torch, starting the booster system to introduce high-pressure water flow into the composite welding torch, placing the composite welding torch above the part to be repaired with the assistance of the welding robot, and moving along the repair path to clean the surface of the substrate to be repaired; (3) adjusting the welding or additive repair parameters and water flow pressure according to the working conditions, guiding the flux-cored welding wire to extend beyond the bottom end of the conductive nozzle and retaining an extension of 16 mm, and then starting the MIG welder to perform welding or additive operations along a predetermined path; (4) After the operation is completed, the MIG welder is turned off, and the composite welding torch continues to move until it is completely beyond the operation area, and then the boost system is turned off to complete the operation.

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