Systems and methods for adaptive control of wire preheating

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12090583-B2
Application number	US-202017069125-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 13, 2020
Priority date	Aug 30, 2017
Publication date	Sep 17, 2024
Grant date	Sep 17, 2024

Abstract

A welding-type system includes a power supply configured to control preheating of an electrode wire. A controller is configured to receive a plurality of power values corresponding to a power output of the power supply and calculate an arc power value corresponding to an arc condition at the preheated electrode wire based on a rate of change of the plurality of power values. A target power output value is determined based on the calculated arc power value, and the power output is adjusted based on the determined target power value.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A welding-type system, comprising:
a power supply configured to preheat an electrode wire; and
a controller configured to:
determine a target power output value based on a change in enthalpy values associated with an arc condition of the preheated electrode wire;
determine the change in enthalpy values associated with the preheated electrode wire; and
adjust a power output of the power supply based in part on the determined target power output value and on a comparison of a measured change in enthalpy values with a stored change in enthalpy values associated with an arc condition.

2. The system as defined in claim 1 , wherein the power output is regulated between a high threshold value and a low threshold value about the target power output value.

3. The system as defined in claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to:
compare a first power value of a plurality of power values corresponding to the power output of the power supply to the high threshold power value and the low threshold power value; and
adjust the power output based on the comparison.

4. The system as defined in claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to:
raise the power output if the first power output is below the low threshold power value; and
to lower the power output if the first power output is above the high threshold power value.

5. The system as defined in claim 2 , further comprising a wire feeder, the controller further configured to adjust a wire feed speed based on a comparison of the first power value to the target power output value and the high and low threshold values.

6. The system as defined in claim 1 , wherein the arc condition occurs when at least a portion of an electrical current is taking a path that includes an electric arc.

7. The system as defined in claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to:
access a memory device that includes a plurality of arc power values that associates a rate of change of a plurality of power values corresponding to the power output of the power supply with corresponding arc conditions; and
identify an arc power value corresponding to an arc condition based on the rate of change of the plurality of power values.

8. The system as defined in claim 7 , wherein the controller is configured to:
interpolate the target power output value based at least in part on a rate of change of the plurality of power values associated with a corresponding arc condition value stored in the memory device; and
select corresponding high and low threshold power values based on the interpolated target power output value.

9. The system as defined in claim 7 , wherein the plurality of power values comprises a voltage, a current, a resistance, an enthalpy, or a combination thereof.

10. A welding-type system, comprising:
a laser welder to perform a laser welding-type operation via a laser welding torch;
a power supply configured to resistively preheat an electrode wire;
a wire feeder to drive the preheated electrode wire for the laser welding-type operation at a first wire feed speed;
a sensor configured to monitor a change in enthalpy associated with the preheated electrode wire; and
a controller configured to:
determine a change in an enthalpy value at which an arc condition at the preheated electrode wire occurs based on a signal from the sensor and the first wire feed speed; and
adjust the wire feed speed based on the determined change in the enthalpy value.

11. The system as defined in claim 10 , further comprising a second sensor configured to measure voltage, temperature, current, resistance, impedance, or a combination thereof.

12. The system as defined in claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to adjust the power output of the power supply based on the enthalpy value.

13. The system as defined in claim 12 , wherein the controller is further configured to adjust the power output of the power supply by a predetermined percentage of the power output.

14. The system as defined in claim 10 , wherein the controller is further configured to adjust the wire feed speed until the controller receives a signal from the sensor indicating the arc condition is no longer detected.

15. The system as defined in claim 14 , wherein the controller is further configured to adjust the wire feed speed by a predetermined percentage of the wire feed speed.

16. A method to perform a laser welding-type operation, comprising:
controlling, via a controller of a power supply, a power output to preheat an electrode wire;
identifying, by the controller, an arc power value corresponding to a rate of change in arc enthalpy values in response to an arc condition of the electrode wire;
accessing a memory device that includes a plurality of arc power values that associates a rate of change of a plurality of power values with corresponding rate of change in arc enthalpy values;
identifying the rate of change in arc enthalpy values corresponding to the arc condition based on the rate of change of the plurality of power values;
receiving, at the controller, a signal value corresponding to the arc condition at the preheated electrode wire;
identifying, by the controller, the arc power value corresponding to the arc condition based at least in part on the signal value;
storing the signal value corresponding to the arc condition and the arc power value in a memory device that includes a plurality of values that associates signal values with corresponding arc enthalpy values; and
adjusting, by the controller, the power output to the preheated electrode wire by a predetermined interval below the arc power value.

17. The method as defined in claim 16 , further comprising calculating a threshold power value based on the rate of change in arc enthalpy values.

Assignees

• Illinois Tool Works

Inventors

• Doyle Brian
• Liu Shuang
• Miller Erik
• Anders Adam E

Classifications

• B23K9/124

  Circuits or methods for feeding welding wire · CPC title

• B23K9/173

  and of a consumable electrode · CPC title

• B23K9/0956

  using sensing means, e.g. optical · CPC title

• B23K9/0953

  using computing means · CPC title

• B23K9/167

  and of a non-consumable electrode · CPC title