Use of a new methodology for prediction of weld distortion and residual stresses using FE simulation applied to ITER vacuum vessel manufacture

The ITER VV Sectors have to be manufactured to extremely tight tolerances, without the production of a prototype to establish the welding distortions. It is thus necessary to develop a (computationally) successful methodology for modelling weld process in order to predict welding distortion and residual stresses. Further, in order to optimise the manufacture sequence and method, the model should be able to rapidly assess the effect of using different sequences. Once the optimal sequence has been decided, then the method has also to be able to accurately predict the final shape.