Elastic-Plastic Fracture Mechanics Method for Poor Penetration Crack in Welded Piping Branch Junction

Author(s):  
Yong-Qiang Bai ◽  
Tong Wang ◽  
Lianghai Lv ◽  
Liang Sun ◽  
Jian Shuai

This paper provides two types of engineering J estimation equations for welded piping branch junctions with poor penetration crack under internal pressure. The first type is the so-called GE/EPRI type J estimation equation based on Ramberg-Osgood (R-O) materials. Based on detailed 3-D FE results using deformation plasticity, plastic influence functions for fully plastic J components are tabulated for practical ranges of the inner radius of brace to the inner radius of chord ratio, the thickness of brace to the thickness of chord, the thickness of chord to the inner radius of chord ratio, the crack depth to the thickness of chord ratio, the strain hardening index for the R-O material, and the location along the poor penetration crack front. Based on tabulated plastic influence functions, the GE/EPRI-type J estimation equation along the crack front is proposed. For more general application, the effective remote stress method based on GE/EPRI-type solutions is provided. This method provides a simpler equation for J, which could be used for any stress-strain relationship material, including Ramborg-Osgood (R-O) material and non-R-O materials under monotonic increasing loading. The proposed effective remote stress based J estimation equation is compared with elastic-plastic 3-D FE results using actual stress–strain data for a Type 304 strainless steel. Good agreement between the FE results and the proposed reference stress based J estimation provides confidence in the use of the proposed method for elastic-plastic fracture mechanics of pressurized welded piping branch junction.

Author(s):  
Do-Jun Shim ◽  
Nam-Su Huh ◽  
Yun-Jae Kim ◽  
Young-Jin Kim

This paper provides approximate J estimates for off-centred, circumferential through-wall cracks in cylinders under bending and under combined tension and bending. The proposed method is based on the reference stress approach, where the dependence of elastic and plastic influence functions of J on the cylinder/crack geometry, the off-centred angle and strain hardening is minimised through the use of a proper normalising load. Based on published limited FE results for off-centred, circumferential through-wall cracks under bending, such normalising load is found, based on which the reference stress based J estimates are proposed for more general cases, such as for a different cylinder geometry and for combined loading. Comparison of the estimated J with extensive FE J results shows overall good agreements for different crack/cylinder geometries and for combined tension and bending, which provides sufficient confidence in the use of the proposed method to fracture mechanics analyses of off-centred circumferential cracks. Furthermore, the proposed method is simple to use, giving significant merits in practice.


1995 ◽  
Vol 117 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-70 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. K. Yoon ◽  
D. E. Killian

With the emergence of readily available simple J solutions for various types of structures through J estimation techniques, J-integral-based elastic-plastic fracture mechanics has become a common tool for analyzing ductile materials. This paper presents elastic-plastic solutions for semi-elliptical surface flaws of four different crack depths. Solutions are developed from a series of finite element analyses using the ABAQUS computer program with a deformation plasticity material constitutive law. Although the solutions are directly applicable to a single set of Ramberg-Osgood material parameters, they may be extended to include various amounts of strain hardening by a ratioing technique utilizing calibration functions from the EPRI handbook for continuous flaws. This paper addresses cylindrical structures loaded by internal pressure, and excludes any consideration of thermal loadings. Elasticplastic J solutions, determined for pressures up to 5000 psi (12700 Pa), or twice the design pressure, depart from plastic-zone-corrected linear elastic predictions at approximately 3000 psi (7620 Pa) pressure. The h1 plastic calibration functions derived in this paper are limited to the point of greatest crack depth in 6:1 aspect ratio semi-elliptical inside surface flaws in cylindrical pressure vessels.


Author(s):  
S. E. Marlette

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) published Section XI Code Case N-648-1 [1] in order to provide alternative examinations of reactor vessel nozzle inner radii. The Code Case was created because ultrasonic examination of the inner radius regions of reactor vessels nozzles is not practical within the operating fleet and the likelihood of flaws developing within these locations is extremely low. Justification for using alternative visual examinations was provided in a paper published at the 2001 Pressure Vessel and Piping (PVP) Technology Conference [2]. This 2001 PVP paper used linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) to demonstrate tolerance for flaws significantly larger than would be detected using nondestructive examination techniques. However, the Code Case [1] and PVP paper [2] were only applicable to operating plants in the United States. Thus, there was a need to provide a similar fracture analysis considering the AP1000® design to support elimination of volumetric examinations of the nozzle inner radius regions. It was also important to consider improvements in facture mechanics techniques that have been recently published in the ASME Code. The ductile behavior of the material at operating temperatures allow for the use of elastic plastic fracture mechanics (EPFM) methods which provides significantly improved flaw tolerance results. This paper compares results from analyses using LEFM and the EPFM methods for the AP1000 reactor vessel nozzle inner radii region and demonstrates tolerance for large flaws within these regions in order to support a basis for elimination of volumetric inspection during in-service and pre-service examination for the AP1000 design.


Author(s):  
Philippe Gilles ◽  
Gongchen Zhang ◽  
Komlanvi Madou

In fracture mechanics, several J-estimation schemes are based on the reference stress approach. This approach has been developed initially in the frame of the R5 rule for creep and R6 rule for elasto-plastic fracture assessments. Later other methods, based on the reference stress concept, where derived like the Js method introduced in the French RSE-M code en 1997 and the Enhanced Reference Stress (ERS) method in Korea around 2001. However these developments are based on the J2 deformation plasticity theory and well established for a pure power hardening law. Even in this latter case, the reference stress depends on the hardening exponent. Js and ERS attempt to minimize this dependence and propose some corrections for recorded behavior laws which cannot be fitted by a power law. However their validation has been established mainly on cases where the material behavior is governed by a Ramberg-Osgood (R0) law. The question may be raised, as for the bilinear hardening law case, of the existence of a reference stress for non RO laws.


Author(s):  
Xin Wang

In this paper, the J-Q two-parameter elastic-plastic fracture mechanics approach is used to analyse the surface cracked plates under uniaxial and biaxial loading. First, the J-Q characterization of crack front stress fields of surface cracked plates under uniaxial and biaxial tension loadings are discussed. The complete J-Q trajectories for points along the crack fronts as load increases from small-scale yielding to large-scale yielding were obtained. Based on the materials toughness locus, (resistance to fracture JC as a function of Q), the assessments of the onset of cleavage fracture are conducted. The critical location along the 3D crack front, and the corresponding maximum load carrying capacity are obtained. The results are consistent with experimental observations. It is demonstrated the J-Q two-parameter approach is capable of providing comprehensive assessments of cleavage fracture of surface cracked plates under uniaxial/biaxial loadings, capturing all the important aspects of the problem.


2017 ◽  
Vol 140 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
X. Liu ◽  
Z. X. Lu ◽  
Y. Chen ◽  
Y. L. Sui ◽  
L. H. Dai

Application of thin-walled high strength steel has become a trend in the oil and gas transportation system over long distance. Failure assessment is an important issue in the construction and maintenance of the pipelines. This work provides an engineering estimation procedure to determine the J-integral for the thin-walled pipes with small constant-depth circumferential surface cracks subject to the tensile loading based upon the General Electric/Electric Power Research (GE/EPRI) method. The values of elastic influence functions for stress intensity factor and plastic influence functions for fully plastic J-integral are derived in tabulated forms through a series of three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) calculations for a wide range of crack geometries and material properties. Furthermore, the fit equations for elastic and plastic influence functions are developed, where the effects of crack geometries are explicitly revealed. The new influence functions lead to an efficient J estimation and can be well applied for structural integrity assessment of thin-walled pipes with small constant-depth circumferential surface cracks under tension.


2018 ◽  
Vol 148 ◽  
pp. 177-187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus Alfreider ◽  
Darjan Kozic ◽  
Otmar Kolednik ◽  
Daniel Kiener

2003 ◽  
Vol 125 (3) ◽  
pp. 267-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Zhao ◽  
R. Seshadri ◽  
R. N. Dubey

A technique for elastic-plastic analysis of a thick-walled elastic-plastic cylinder under internal pressure is proposed. It involves two parametric functions and piecewise linearization of the stress-strain curve. A deformation type of relationship is combined with Hooke’s law in such a way that stress-strain law has the same form in all linear segments, but each segment involves different material parameters. Elastic values are used to describe elastic part of deformation during loading and also during unloading. The technique involves the use of deformed geometry to satisfy the boundary and other relevant conditions. The value of strain energy required for deformation is found to depend on whether initial or final geometry is used to satisfy the boundary conditions. In the case of low work-hardening solid, the difference is significant and cannot be ignored. As well, it is shown that the new formulation is appropriate for elastic-plastic fracture calculations.


Author(s):  
Adolfo Arrieta-Ruiz ◽  
Eric Meister ◽  
Stéphane Vidard

Structural integrity of the Reactor Pressure Vessel (RPV) is one of the main concerns regarding safety and lifetime of Nuclear Power Plants (NPP) since this component is considered as not reasonably replaceable. Fast fracture risk is the main potential damage considered in the integrity assessment of RPV. In France, deterministic integrity assessment for RPV vis-à-vis the brittle fracture risk is based on the crack initiation stage. As regards the core area in particular, the stability of an under-clad postulated flaw is currently evaluated under a Pressurized Thermal Shock (PTS) through a dedicated fracture mechanics simplified method called “beta method”. However, flaw stability analyses are also carried-out in several other areas of the RPV. Thence-forward performing uniform simplified inservice analyses of flaw stability is a major concern for EDF. In this context, 3D finite element elastic-plastic calculations with flaw modelling in the nozzle have been carried out recently and the corresponding results have been compared to those provided by the beta method, codified in the French RSE-M code for under-clad defects in the core area, in the most severe events. The purpose of this work is to validate the employment of the core area fracture mechanics simplified method as a conservative approach for the under-clad postulated flaw stability assessment in the complex geometry of the nozzle. This paper presents both simplified and 3D modelling flaw stability evaluation methods and the corresponding results obtained by running a PTS event. It shows that the employment of the “beta method” provides conservative results in comparison to those produced by elastic-plastic calculations for the cases here studied.


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