Potential Applications of Friction Stir Welding to the Hydrogen Economy. Hydrogen Regional Infrastructure Program In Pennsylvania, Materials Task

Technical Report · Fri Jul 17 00:00:00 EDT 2009

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1344074· OSTI ID:1344074

Brendlinger, Jennifer ^[1]

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1. Concurrent Technologies Corporation, Johnstown, PA (United States)

Friction Stir Welding (FSW) is a solid-state welding technique developed by The Welding Institute (TWI) of Cambridge, UK in the early 1990’s. The process uses a non-consumable rotating tool to develop frictional heat and plastically deform workpieces to be joined, resulting in a solid-state weld on the trailing side of the advancing tool. Since the materials to be joined are not melted, FSW results in a finer grain structure and therefore enhanced properties, relative to fusion welds. And unlike fusion welding, a relatively small number of key process parameters exist for FSW: tool rotational speed, linear weld velocity and force perpendicular to the joining surface. FSW is more energy efficient than fusion welding and can be accomplished in one or two passes, versus many more passes required of fusion welding thicker workpieces. Reduced post-weld workpiece distortion is another factor that helps to reduce the cost of FSW relative to fusion welding. Two primary areas have been identified for potential impact on the hydrogen economy: FSW of metallic pipes for hydrogen transmission and FSW of aluminum pressure vessels for hydrogen storage. Both areas have been under active development and are explored in this paper.

• Research Organization: Concurrent Technologies Corporation, Johnstown, PA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE, Office of Hydrogen, Fuel Cells & Infrastructure Technologies
• DOE Contract Number: FC36-04GO14229
• OSTI ID: 1344074
• Report Number(s): DOE-CTC-14229
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE