Heat input control for welding systems

A welding system comprising:

• a welding power supply comprising power conversion circuitry configured to generate a welding power output for use in a submerged arc welding operation and an operator interface configured to receive a desired heat input level and an operator initiated first adjustment to a first weld variable of a set of weld variables, wherein the first weld variable is one of a voltage level or a wire feed speed and the welding power supply is operable in a constant current or constant voltage mode;
• a wire feeder coupled to the welding power supply and configured to apply the welding power output to a supplied welding wire;
• a positioning system configured to position a welding torch and a workpiece with respect to one another;
• and
• control circuitry configured to:
• receive data encoding the desired heat input level and the first adjustment to the first weld variable;
• during the submerged arc welding operation, determine a second adjustment to a second weld variable of the set of weld variables that is suitable to maintain a heat input of the submerged arc welding operation approximately equal to the desired heat input level in response to the first adjustment to the first weld variable, wherein the second weld variable is the other of the voltage level or the wire feed speed;
• generate a control signal to adjust the second weld variable based on the desired heat input level during the submerged arc welding operation encoding the determined second adjustment to the second weld variable, and wherein both the first weld variable and the second weld variable are adjusted by the control circuitry during the submerged arc welding operation to maintain the desired heat input level.