20 kW laser welding applied on the international thermonuclear experimental reactor correction coil case welding

Abstract

International thermonuclear experimental reactor correction coil cases are made of heavy, thick, high strength, and high toughness austenitic stainless steel 316LN. The BTCC (bottom and top correction coils) case has the dimension of 2.5 × 7 m2 and cross section of 239.8 × 146.7 mm2, side correction coil case has the dimension of 7.2 × 7.6 m2 and cross section of 147.8 × 168 mm2, and they will be closure welded after winding pack insertion. The 20 mm welding depth, dozens of meter of welding length, strict welding requirements, large size, and complex configuration bring a big challenge to this closure welding work. 20 kW high power laser welding is selected as the main welding method because of the advantage of potential welding deformation control and its penetrating ability and cracking resistance. The welding parameter is developed that can cover the assembly gap from 0 to 0.5 mm with a good welding quality. A special test coupon is designed for the welding procedure qualification, and related tests are carried out to qualify the joint properties of bend, tensile, and impact. Finally, a full-scale BTCC case is welded. After welding, ultrasonic testing confirms that almost all welds satisfy the weld seam quality requirement. The recorded temperatures less than 250° indicate that the temperature induced by welding will not harm the internal winding pack. The dimensional deviation of the inner face is less than 4 mm and also satisfies the tolerance requirement of ±2 mm for the BTCC case.