Hyperbaric welding 

is the process of welding at elevated pressures, normally underwater.[1]

[2]
 Hyperbaric welding can either take place wet in the water itself or dry inside a specially
constructed positive pressure enclosure and hence a dry environment. It is predominantly
referred to as "hyperbaric welding" when used in a dry environment, and "underwater welding"
when in a wet environment. The applications of hyperbaric welding are diverse—it is often used
to repair ships, offshore oil platforms, and pipelines. Steel is the most common material welded.

Dry hyperbaric welding is used in preference to wet underwater welding when high quality welds
are required because of the increased control over conditions which can be exerted, such as
through application of prior and post weld heat treatments. This improved environmental control
leads directly to improved process performance and a generally much higher quality weld than a
comparative wet weld. Thus, when a very high quality weld is required, dry hyperbaric welding is
normally utilized. Research into using dry hyperbaric welding at depths of up to 1,000 metres
(3,300 ft) is ongoing.[3] In general, assuring the integrity of underwater welds can be difficult (but
is possible using various nondestructive testing applications), especially for wet underwater
welds, because defects are difficult to detect if the defects are beneath the surface of the weld.

Underwater hyperbaric welding was invented by the Russian metallurgist Konstantin Khrenov in

1932.[4]

Dry welding[edit]
Dry hyperbaric welding involves the weld being performed at raised pressure in a chamber filled
with a gas mixture sealed around the structure being welded.

Most arc welding processes such as Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW), Flux-cored arc
welding (FCAW), Gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), Gas metal arc welding (GMAW),Plasma
Arc Welding (PAW) could be operated at hyperbaric pressures, but all suffer as the pressure
increases.[7] Gas tungsten arc welding is most commonly used. The degradation is associated
with physical changes of the arc behaviour as the gas flow regime around the arc changes and
the arc roots contract and become more mobile. Of note is a dramatic increase
in arc voltage which is associated with the increase in pressure. Overall a degradation in
capability and efficiency results as the pressure increases.

Special control techniques have been applied which have allowed welding down to 2,500 m
(8,200 ft) simulated water depth in the laboratory, but dry hyperbaric welding has thus far been
limited operationally to less than 400 m (1,300 ft) water depth by the physiological capability
of divers to operate the welding equipment at high pressures and practical considerations
concerning construction of an automated pressure / welding chamber at depth.[8]

Wet Welding[edit]
Wet underwater welding directly exposes the diver and electrode to the water and surrounding
elements.[9] Divers usually use around 300–400 amps of direct current to power their electrode,
and they weld using varied forms of arc welding.[10] This practice commonly uses a variation
of shielded metal arc welding, employing a waterproof electrode.[2]Other processes that are used
include flux-cored arc welding and friction welding.[2] In each of these cases, the welding power
supply is connected to the welding equipment through cables and hoses. The process is
generally limited to low carbon equivalent steels, especially at greater depths, because
of hydrogen-caused cracking.[2]

Wet welding with a stick electrode is done with similar equipment to that used for dry welding, but
the electrode holders are designed for water cooling and are more heavily insulated. They will
overheat if used out of the water. A constant current welding machine is used for manual metal
arc welding. Direct current is used, and a heavy duty isolation switch is installed in the welding
cable at the surface control position, so that the welding current can be disconnected when not in
use. The welder instructs the surface operator to make and break the contact as required during
the procedure. The contacts should only be closed during actual welding, and opened at other
times, particularly when changing electrodes.[11]

The electric arc heats the workpiece and the welding rod, and the molten metal is transferred
through the gas bubble around the arc. The gas bubble is partly formed from decomposition of
the flux coating on the electrode but it is usually contaminated to some extent by steam. Current
flow induces transfer of metal droplets from the electrode to the workpiece and enables positional
welding by a skilled operator. Slag deposition on the weld surface helps to slow the rate of
cooling, but rapid cooling is one of the biggest problems in producing a quality weld. [11]

Hazards and risks[edit]

The hazards of underwater welding include the risk of electric shock to the welder. To prevent
this, the welding equipment must be adaptable to a marine environment, properly insulated and
the welding current must be controlled. Commercial divers must also consider the
occupational safety issues that divers face; most notably, the risk ofdecompression sickness due
to the increased pressure of breathing gases.[12] Many divers have reported a metallic taste that is
related to the galvanic breakdown of dental amalgam.[13][14][15] There may also be long
term cognitive and possibly musculoskeletal effects associated with underwater welding.[16]

Underwater Welding Types

Let’s define wet and dry welding.

Wet welding: Welding with water directly surrounding the welding site in a wet
environment.

Dry welding: Welding at higher pressure with insulation from water around the
weld site. The welder works partially or fully inside of a habitat in a dry or semi-
dry environment.

When someone brings up underwater welding, most people picture a diver

floating in clear water with a gentle glow at the end of one’s electrode. In reality,
very little underwater welding takes place directly exposed to water (wet
welding). Most is done in habitats (dry welding).

Every underwater welding project requires a decision by the engineers and

managers to determine which type of weld would best suit their needs. We
didn’t include hyperbaric welding income in the chart, as that’s more affected by
the underwater welder’s skill than welding type. Here’s a breakdown of the
advantages and disadvantages of each.

Underwater Welding Information: Average Wet & Dry

Comparisons

Type Cost Danger Visibility Accessibility Weld Strength Use

Wet Low High Low High Medium 20%

Dry High Medium High Low High 80%

Wet Welding

Wet welding works a lot like playing the drums – easy to learn, difficult to
master. In fact, the American Welding Society (AWS) has a set of Class “A”tests
set aside for only the most skilled of underwater welders. And few succeed in
passing them.
Water Wonderland: How it’s Done

In general, welder-divers treat welds below water the same way they treat welds
on dry land. Both require the same basic welding equipment and techniques.
That’s why the best underwater welders get their welding experience above the
water’s surface first.

Underwater wet welds use arc welding to create an electric arc between the
electrode and the metals. After preparation and planning with their team,
welder-divers will dive down to the correct depth, in full diving gear, usually
using surface-supplied air. They wear rubber suits and gloves to create more
insulation between their bodies and the electricity generated by their surface
power supply.

Common Welds
 Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW): The most common type of welding in the
underwater and topside industry, it is used 90-95% of the time in wet welding.
Many refer to it as “stick” welding, because welders use a long, thin cylinder
(electrode) and an electrical arc to accomplish their work. Application for
stainless steel, aluminum and other metals.
 Flux-cored Arc Welding (FCAW): Contains a spool that provides a continuous
feed of filler metal for welders. Application for nickel-based alloys, cast iron, and
other metals.

 Friction Welding (FW): Fuses metal together through high friction and heat.
Material melting does not occur. Application for metals and thermoplastics.

Surface welders keep their metal clean before placing their bead, and it works
the same way under the waves. Once underwater welders have reached their
weld point, they’ll scope out the area and make sure no obstructions or safety
hazards surround it. They may do this several days before they perform the
weld. Once the welder-divers are ready, they’ll place their electrode on their
starting point and signal their team to flip the switch.

Typically, wet welds will be executed with a power supply generating 300-400
amps of electricity, always using direct current (DC). Direct current is a constant,
one-way ticket. It creates a safer, more effective weld in the surrounding water
than alternating current (AC).

Until recently, the wet welding process has always been considered “patchwork”
and a temporary fix. New electrode technology has changed wet welds in some
types of repairs.

Challenges under Pressure

Welder-divers face numerous complications when they wet weld; here’s a list of
the most common ones:

1. Arc constriction
2. Steaming

3. Deposition Rate

4. Bubbling Effects

5. Electrode Diameter

6. Underwater Welder Position

The troubling part of wet welding comes into play with deposition rate and
bubbling – no matter how much our technology improves, these factors will
always hurt the strength of welds exposed to the surrounding water. More
specifically, wet welds experience hydrogen embrittlement, a process where
large amounts of hydrogen (formed from surrounding water vapor) dissolve into
the weld.

Now that I’ve soaked you with underwater welding information, let’s explore our
dry counterpart.

Dry Welding

“Dry welding” has several names, including hyperbaric welding or habitat

welding. All refer to the same basic process.
 Photo courtesy of AYSAN Hyperbaric Chambers

All dry welds involve a hyperbaric chamber or habitat that seals around the
structure needing welded. After sealing, connected hoses push all water out of
the hyperbaric chamber and fill it with a gaseous mixture such as helium and
oxygen. The chamber is then pressurized to the correct depth.

Just like wet welding, dry welding is a specialized field populated by expert
welder-divers. just because they’re in a dry environment, dry welders still have
many more variables to work with than surface welders such as different
atmospheric gas, pressure, equipment and limited space. Dry welding includes
several methods, depending on the repair, cost and other factors.

Here’s the four types of techniques that welder-divers use.

Dry Welding: One Type, Four Methods

As you’ll see, the last three methods are almost identical to each other except in
the size of habitat used. It’s a tier system that keeps shrinking.

1. Pressure Welding: Working in a pressure vessel measuring one atmosphere

unit of pressure (same as pressure at sea level).
2. Habitat Welding: Using a chamber in ambient pressure (same as surrounding
pressure at working depth) about the size of a small room to weld. Before
entering, the chamber displaces its water into the surrounding ocean or lake.
 3. Dry Chamber Welding: Think habitat welding, but with a smaller chamber. The
chamber holds the head and shoulders of a welder-diver (dressed in diving gear)
and is open at the bottom for the diver to fit in.

4. Dry Spot Welding: Now think even smaller. The habitat shrinks to the size of

about the welder-diver’s head, and it’s completely clear. It’s placed on the weld
site and the welder-diver inserts his or her electrode inside the habitat, which
seals around it.

Habitat, dry chamber and dry spot welding all work on the basis of ambient
pressure, and the deeper down you go the harder it is to create a good weld.

This difficulty is due to the pressurized gases surrounding the weld site and the
electrode arc. Thinner gases cause the arc “roots” to contract and the flow and
behavior to increase dramatically. It’s like throwing a frisbee on a windy day: It’ll
go further, but you won’t have any accuracy.

Common Welds:
 Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW): Previously defined.
 Flux-cored Arc Welding (FCAW): Previously defined.

 Gas Tungsten Arc Welding (GTAW): Also known as “TIG,” is achieved with an

electrode made of tungsten, non-consumable. Heat is applied with an electric
arc. Application for stainless steel, aluminum, and other metals.

 Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW): Also known as “MIG,” this welding process is
done with a shielding gas running through the welding gun around the
electrode. Known for its diverse metal transfer methods. Application for
aluminum and other non-ferrous metals.

 Plasma Arc Welding (PAW): Uses an electric arc but constricts the arc, like
pressurized water in a small hose. It allows for high arc (plasma) speed and
intense heat to the weld site. Application for stainless steel, aluminum, and other
metals.

If welder-divers must perform an extensive weld deep underwater in a large

hyperbaric habitat, they’ll usually work in pairs of two. First, operators will lower
the habitat chamber down to the weld site and fill it with gas. Then, the
underwater welders will drop in a diving bell to the same depth, where they will
swim over into the chamber to start work. Since there is two of them, they’ll be
able to trade off and work six to eight-hour shifts.

This method also allows for surveillance by surface technicians for safety
reasons. Also, welder-divers can perform non-destructive testing to make sure
the weld will hold for years down the road.

Underwater Welding Information: Choosing Wet

or Dry

As you can see, all underwater welding is not created equal. Both wet and
dry types have their advantages and disadvantages, and there’s no formula to
decide which type of welding gets used in a given situation. Several key
factors influence which welding process is applied:

 Welder-diver skill
 Project budget

 Safety concerns

 Location and depth

 Project time length

Taking all these factors into consideration, project managers must decide the
best way to perform an underwater weld. Offshore has increased largely in the
past decade, and the demand for skilled underwater welders will always be
present.

Most dry welding takes place in extremely shallow waters, especially in offshore
operations. Overall, companies have limited underwater weld operations to 400
meters or less. Further depths have shown to dramatically increase safety
concerns for underwater welders. Some welding simulations have actually
shown that dry welding can be done at close to 2,500 meters, but those were
under extremely controlled conditions.
New Technology in Hyperbaric Welding

The automation of the welding process underwater has given a boost to the
industry. “THOR’s (TIG hyperbaric orbital robots)” have changed the way
underwater welders do things. Once they’ve reached the weld site, the welder-
diver must simply install the track, orbital head and pipefit. Afterward, THOR
takes over the rest of the weld.

In addition, Subsea Global Solutions, a maritime company, has applied wet

welds that meet the standards set by the AWS 3.6 underwater welding code. This
means that underwater welders now have the capability to createpermanent wet
welds.