A. Kumar, ExxonMobil Upstream Research Co., Houston, TX; T. DebRoy, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA

Summary: To improve the reliability of numerical heat transfer and fluid flow calculations, a thermo-fluid model is combined with a gradient based multi-variable optimization scheme. The overall model could estimate the unknown values of arc efficiency, effective thermal conductivity and effective viscosity as a function of welding conditions based on only a few experimental measurements. Good agreement between the model predictions of welding paramters to achieve target geometry show that this approach is useful in improving reliability of heat transfer and fluid flow calculations.