Professor Adam Powell of the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) is collaborating with the US National Laboratory and a global automotive parts supplier to test a new welding method that may make the photometal alloy joint more capable Resist the corrosion of salt spray and other things, and design more durable next-generation automotive metal joints in the future. Such automotive metal joints are commonly used in ultra-lightweight automotive doors and other body applications.
Adam Powell is an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Three-year funding in US dollars. As the lead agency, WPI will receive $ 750,000 in funding, while Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) will divide the remaining funds. Magna will also provide time and materials assistance for the project in a non-cash way.
Professor Powell said that the automotive industry is seeking to reduce the weight of cars and trucks while maintaining the life of the car. One way to achieve this goal is to use advanced lightweight materials such as aluminum and magnesium alloys. Researchers are currently testing a new welding method-friction stir welding, to see if it can reduce the corrosion of aluminum-magnesium alloy joints. At present, any joint that directly contacts between different metals is susceptible to galvanic corrosion.
According to the research plan, Magna, a global travel technology company and a leader in lightweight automotive construction, will supply aluminum and magnesium to PNLL, which is responsible for welding materials. Then, PNNL transports the welded parts to WPI for corrosion and mechanical testing. Subsequently, WPI sent most of the test samples to ORNL, which is responsible for advanced analysis of welded joints. After that, WPI will conduct computer simulations, and Professor Powell said: "Trying to understand how corrosion and mechanical fracture work together."
Currently, WPI is conducting a series of tests in the laboratory using a device called a cyclic corrosion test chamber, which is about 3 feet high, similar to a sunbed. Professor Powell and the research team arranged the smaller part of the welded joint (looks like a dining candle) and placed it in the test box. Then, such welded joints are exposed to various corrosive environments, such as salt spray, high temperatures up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit, and high humidity environments.
Professor Powell said: "We expose the welded joints to various environments to accelerate the corrosion process and simulate the life cycle of the vehicle. It is in different environments that the corrosion is accelerated. The goal of WPI is to use computer simulations to show such welded joints. Even in the harsh winter in New England, it can still be used for 20 years. "
Automobile companies can then use simulations to conduct virtual experiments to predict the corrosion of the car over a 15 to 20-year service life. Based on proven models, researchers can design low-cost, robust welded joints for ultra-light doors and a variety of body applications.
In the first year of research, Powell and colleagues will learn about the corrosion behavior of magnesium and aluminum diffusion bonded joints in the test chamber. In the second year, they plan to simulate the corrosion and mechanical fracture of joints made by friction stir welding on a computer. In the last year, they hope to produce more accurate models.
The purpose of this study by Powell and the research team is to show that the new welding process can make durable parts made of two different metals, which brings many benefits, such as making the vehicle lighter, reducing the fuel consumption of gasoline-powered vehicles, and growing Range of electric vehicles, etc.