Abstract:
To explore effective methods for reducing significant residual stresses within aluminum alloy ring components, this study focuses on cryogenic treatment as a specialized heat treatment process. Utilizing finite element simulation software and experimental heat treatment conditions, the cryogenic treatment process of aluminum alloy rings was simulated and analyzed. The mechanism by which cryogenic treatment reduces residual stresses, as derived from the simulation, was further validated through experiments. The research findings indicate that the changes and reduction in residual stresses during cryogenic treatment are primarily attributed to differences in heat transfer rates at various locations within the aluminum alloy ring during the thermal process. Notably, the heating and holding stage is identified as the critical phase for reducing residual stresses during cryogenic treatment. Finite element simulation results demonstrate that a cryogenic treatment process involving 4 h of freezing followed by 3 h of heating and holding can significantly reduce residual stresses within the aluminum alloy ring by 55%. Experimental results confirm that this process outperforms other heat treatment methods in terms of residual stress reduction, thereby validating the reliability of the simulation results.