Effect of Creep on the Residual Stresses in Tube-to-Tubesheet Joints
Steam generators are the subject of major concern in nuclear power plant safety. Within these generators, in addition to the structural integrity, the gross tightness barrier, which separates the primary and secondary circuits, is primarily ensured by the presence of a residual contact pressure at the tube-to-tubesheet joint interface. Any leakage is unacceptable, and its consequences are very heavy in terms of the human and environmental safety as well as maintenance cost. Some studies have been conducted to understand the main reasons for such a failure. However, no analytical model able to predict the attenuation of the residual contact pressure under the effect of material creep relaxation behavior. The development of a simple analytical model able to predict the change of the residual contact pressure as a function of time is laid out in this paper. The results from the analytical model are checked and compared with those of finite elements.