• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers
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• v.7 no.3
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• pp.263-269
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• 1983

Underwater welding by a gravity arc welding process was investigated by using six types of coated electrodes and SM41A steel plates of 10 mm thickness as base metal and it was ascertained that this process may be put to practical use. Main results obtained are summarized as follows: 1. Angle of electrode affects no influence on bead appearance and the proper range of welding current and diameter of electrode for the high titanium oxide type is relatively wider than that for the ilmenite type. And the lime titania type, high titanium oxide type and ilmenite type of domestic coated arc welding electrodes of .phi.4 mm could attain the soundest underwater welded joints which contain no welding imperfection. 2. According to macro-structure, micro-structure and hardness distribution inspectionson underwater welded joint, the area between the HAZ and the surface of the weld in neighbourhood of the bond has the maximum hardness value. The structure of these parts is martensite and bainite. Other parts contain mocro-ferrite, micro-pearlite structure, which contain soundness of welded joint free from weld imperfection. 3. On consideration of both tensile strength of more than 100% joint efficiency and sufficient impact value, the welding condition which can get optimal welding strength is heat input of 1,400-1,500 J/mm, current of 200-215 ampere (voltage of 32-33 volts) in the case of lime titania type electrode. 4. Underwater welding strength (tensile strength, impact strength) depends on heat input (or current) quantitatively and they have the relationship of parabolic function. Each experimental equation has a high reliability and its percent of mean error is 4.14%. 5. It is suggested that the optimal design of weld strength by welding condition (current, heat input) could be utilized for a quality control of underwater welding.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.1 no.2
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• pp.67-73
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• 1987

The feasibility for a practical use of underwater wet arc welding process is experimentally investigated by using low hydrogen and high oxide type electrodes and TMCP steel plates. Main results are summarized as follows: 1)The absorption speed of the coated low hydrogen and high titanium oxide type eletrodes becomes constant after about 30 minutes in water, and more steeping time in water does not influnce welding arc behavior. 2) By bead appearance and X-ray inspection, the high titanium oxide type electrode is better than the low hydrogen type in underwater arc welding process. 3) The mechanical properties of underwater wet arc welds depend upon welding conditions more than those of in-air welds, and the optimum welding condition can be obtained. 4) Because of quenching effect by rapid cooling rate in underwater wet welding, the maximum hardness of HAZ is increased relatively higher in underwater wet welding, process.

• Journal of Welding and Joining
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.55-62
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• 1998

While excellent joint quality has been obtained using dry chamber underwater welding methods, the size limitations imposed by this process restrict its use for underwater construction work. The wet underwater shielded metal-arc welding eliminates this restriction but suffers from poor weld properties by the 1-pass bead-on-plate welding due to the excessive diffusible hydrogen. On the other hand, in the wet underwater welding, it is well known that the quantity of diffusible hydrogen in multi-pass welded parts reduce to less than that in 1-pass welded parts. Therefore, in this paper, welding experiments are made the 3-pass bead-on-plate welds by using TMCP and normalized steel plates and E4301 and cellulose coated electrode. After that, The amounts of the hydrogen absorbed into the 3-pass welded area were measured according to the JIS Z 3118 specification. The microstructural changes as well as the microhardness distribution after the underwater 3-pass welding were also investigated using Vickers microhardness tester and S.E.M and O.M. The results indicated that the quantity of diffusible hydrogen in 3-pass welded areas was reduced little less than a half of one of that in 1-pass welded areas at the specific welding condition. As a result, the cold cracking of 3-pass welded areas decreased by reduced effect of diffusible hydrogen. In the underwater 3-pass welding, the micrography of cold cracking fracture surface showed mainly the cleavage of hydrogen embrittlement.

• Journal of Ocean Engineering and Technology
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.125-134
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• 1988

The feasibility for improving the cooling rates and mechanical properties of wet welding process is experimentally investigated by using new developed underwater wet electrodes and H.T. steel plates. Main results of this experimental study can be summarized as follows; 1) By shielding around weld arc surrounding, the cooling rates resulting from wet welds with developed electrodes on TMCP steel plates can be lower than of non-shielded wet welds. 2)A high quality of mechanical properties of wet welds on TMCP steel plates can be obtained with shielded weld arc surrounding.

• Proceedings of the KWS Conference
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• 1997.10a
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• pp.147-150
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• 1997

The characteristics of underwater welding of SWS490 steel were investigated. The bead-on-plate type welding with one or three pass using ilmenite and water-proofed type electrodes was performed by varying welding currents and the sizes of electrodes used. The amounts of hydrogen absorbed inter the weld metal were measured according to the JIS Z 3118 specification and the results were interpreted in terms of the cold cracking behaviours of the welded steel. The microstructural changes as well as the microhardness distribution after underwater welding were also investigated using Vickers microhardness tester and S.E.M (scanning electron microscopy) and O.M (optical microscopy). The results indicated that the cold cracking could be avoided by three pass welding under low current with an electrode with a small diameter.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.45-52
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• 1987

Generally the factors affected largely by the cold cracking sensitivity of the weld are the quantity of the diffusible hydrogen, the brittleness and hardness of the bond area and the tensile restraint stress. These factors have relation each other, and if we can reduce one of these factors, it becomes instrumental to the root cracks prevention of weld. This study deals with the gravity type-underwater-welding of KR Grade A-3 marine steel plate using E4303 welding electrode in order to compare wet-underwater-welding with in-air- welding, resulting in obtaining the tensile restraint characteristics, the hardness distribution, the quantity of diffusible hydrogen and the macro- and micro-crack properties in both underwater and in-air welds. The main results obtained are as follows: 1) The quantity of diffusible hydrogen measured for 48 hours is about 18cc/100g-weld-metal for the in-air-weld of one pass and about 48cc/100g-weld-metal for the underwater-weld of one pass which is about 3 times penetration of diffusible hydrogen compairing with the case of the in-air-weld. However, it was experimentally confirmed that, by the multi-pass welding of 2 to 5 passes, the diffusible hydrogen in the underwater weld metal can be reduced as much as 27 to 49%. 2) The hardness of the weld metal indicates the highest value in the heat affected zones of underwater weld for more rapid cooling rate, resulting in the higher sensitivity of cold cracking. So, it is desirable to soften the higher hardness in the HAZ by tempering effect such as the multi-pass welding in the underwater welding. 3) At the bond vicinity of the underwater weld HAZ, micro cracks were found as resulted by both more rapid cooling rate and more diffusible hydrogen and also by the stress corrosion cracking under the tensile restraint stress in the underwater. But this could be prevented by the tempering effect of the following weld bead such as the multi-pass welding.

• Journal of Advanced Marine Engineering and Technology
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• v.32 no.8
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• pp.1240-1247
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• 2008

Leakage trouble on the sea water pipeline in engine room is often resulted from a localized corrosion due to severe corrosive environment caused by both high speed and high pressure of sea water flowing through the inner pipe. In addition, when the ship is in stand-by or emergency condition, underwater welding to control the leakage of sea water from a hole of its pipe is very important in an industrial safety point of view. In this study possibility of underwater welding to control leakage of sea water and corrosion property of its welding zone were investigated with the electrochemical methods by parameters of welding methods and welding electrodes when underwater welding is achieved with a such case that sea water is being leaked out with a height at 50mm from a hole of $2.5mm{\emptyset}$ of test pipe. Corrosion resistance of weld metal zone is better than the base metal and its hardness is higher than that of the base metal. However corrosion potential of weld metal zone showed a negative value than that of the base metal, therefore weld metal zone is preferentially corroded rather than the base metal by performance of galvanic cell due to difference of corrosion potential between weld metal zone and base metal. Eventually it is suggested that leakage of sea water is successfully controlled by underwater welding,

• Journal of the Korean Society of Fisheries and Ocean Technology
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.49-59
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• 1984

Optimizing investigation of characteristics of underwater welding by a gravity type arc welding process was experimentally carried out by using six types of domestic coated welding electrodes for welding of domestic marine structural steel plates (KR Grade A-1, SWS41A, SWS41B,) in order to develop the underwater welding techniques in practical use. Main results obtained are summarized as follows: 1. The absorption speed of the coating of domestic coated lime titania type welding-electrode became constant at about 60 minutes in water and it was about 0.18%/min during initial 8 minutes of absorption time. 2. Thus, the immediate welding electrode could be used in underwater welding for such a short time in comparison with the joint strength of in-atmosphere-and on-water-welding by dry-, wet-or immediate-welding-electrode. 3. By bead appearance and X-ray inspection, ilmenite, limetitania and high titanium oxide types of electrodes were found better for underwater-welding of 10 mm KR Grade A-1 steel plates, while proper welding angle, current and electrode diameter were 6$0^{\circ}C$, above 160A and 4mm respectively under 28cm/min of welding speed. 4. The weld metal tensile strength or proof stress of underwater-welded-joints has a quadratic relationship with the heat input, and the optimal heat input zone is about 13 to 15KJ/cm for 10mm SWS41A steel plates, resulting from consideration upon both joint efficiency of above-100% and recovery of impact strength and strain. Meanwhile, the optimal heat input zone resulting from tension-tension fatigue limit above the base metal's of SWS41A plates is 16 to 19KJ/cm. Reliability of all the empirical equations reveals 95% confidence level. 6. The microstructure of the underwater welds of SES41A welded in such a zone has no weld defects such as hydrogen brittleness with supreme high hardness, since the HAZ-bond boundary area adjacent to both surface and base metal has only Hv400 max with the microstructure of fine martensite, bainite, pearlite and small amount of ferrite.

• Journal of Power System Engineering
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.110-117
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• 2005

Underwater wet arc welds were experimentally performed on 11mm thick KR-RA steel plate using six different types of flux coated electrodes of 4.0mm diameter, KSKR, KSKT, USBL, JPUW, UWEA and UWEB. From analysis of bead appearance, detachability of weld slag, spatter occurrence and arc stability, JPUW gives the best result, and UWEB is superior to KSKR and KSKT. By experimental result of hardness distribution on the weld bonds, UWEB weld has the narrowest bond structure which is probable condition to get the best mechanical properties of weld. UWEB and JPUW welds have more even hardness distribution across weld deposit and base metal. Upon polarization test to measure the respondency of corrosion, the electrode of UWEB shows the most excellent degree due to the low open circuit potential difference.

• Journal of Power System Engineering
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.111-118
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• 2006

Underwater wet arc welds were experimentally performed on 11mm thick KR-RA steel plate using six different types of flux coated electrodes of 4.0mm diameter, KSKR, KSKT, USBL, JPUW, UWEA and UWEB. From analysis of bead appearance, detachability of weld slag, spatter occurrence and arc stability, JPUW gives the best result, and UWEB is superior to KSKR and KSKT. By experimental result of hardness distribution on the weld bonds, UWEB weld has the narrowest bond structure which is probable condition to get the best mechanical properties of weld. UWEB and JPUW welds have more even hardness distribution across weld deposit and base metal. Upon polarization test to measure the respondency of corrosion, the electrode of UWEB shows the most excellent degree due to the low open circuit potential difference.