Modeling Crack Growth in Weld Residual Stress Fields Using the Finite Element Alternating Method

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. W. Brust ◽  
T. Zhang ◽  
D.-J. Shim ◽  
G. Wilkowski ◽  
D. Rudland
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Stainless Steel ◽  
Stress Intensity ◽  
Crack Growth ◽  
Stress Intensity Factors ◽  
Corrosion Cracking ◽  
Multiple Cracks ◽  
Intensity Factors ◽  
Pressurized Water ◽  
Alternating Method

Flaw indications have been found in some nozzle to stainless steel piping dissimilar metal (DM) welds and reactor pressure vessel heads (RPVH) in pressurized water reactors (PWR) throughout the world. The nozzle welds usually involve welding ferritic (often A508) nozzles to 304/316 stainless steel pipe) using Alloy 182/82 weld metal. The welds may become susceptible to a form of corrosion cracking referred to as primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC). It can occur if the temperature is high enough (usually >300C) and the water chemistry in the PWR is typical of operating plants. The weld residual stresses (WRS) induced by the welds are a main driver of PWSCC. Modeling the growth of these cracks in these WRS fields until leakage occurs is important for safety assessments. Currently, the prediction of PWSCC crack growth is based on the stress intensity factors at the crack tips. Several methods for modeling the crack growth through these WRS fields are possible, including using analytical, natural crack growth using finite element methods, and using the finite element alternating method. In this paper, finite element alternating method (FEAM) is used for calculating stress intensity factors and modeling the growth. First the FEAM method for growing cracks is presented. Next, several examples of modeling growth through control rod drive mechanism (CRDM) heads are presented. Finally, a short example examining multiple cracks in CRDM heads is presented. For many problems the FEAM approach for rapidly modeling crack growth is quite convenient, especially for difficult to mesh crack geometries.

Elastodynamic Fracture Analysis of Multiple Cracks by Laplace Finite Element Alternating Method

1999 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 606-615 ◽  
Author(s):  
W.-H. Chen ◽  
C.-L. Chang ◽  
C.-H. Tsai
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Stress Intensity ◽  
Laplace Transform ◽  
Stress Intensity Factors ◽  
Dynamic Stress ◽  
Multiple Cracks ◽  
Intensity Factors ◽  
Dynamic Stress Intensity Factors ◽  
Alternating Method ◽  
The Laplace Transform

The Laplace finite element alternating method, which combines the Laplace transform technique and the finite element alternating method, is developed to deal with the elastodynamic analysis of a finite plate with multiple cracks. By the Laplace transform technique, the complicated elastodynamic fracture problem is first transformed into an equivalent static fracture problem in the Laplace transform domain and then solved by the finite element alternating method developed. To do this, an analytical solution by Tsai and Ma for an infinite plate with a semi-infinite crack subjected to exponentially distributed loadings on crack surfaces in the Laplace transform domain is adopted. Finally, the real-time response can be computed by a numerical Laplace inversion algorithm. The technique established is applicable to the calculation of dynamic stress intensity factors of a finite plate with arbitrarily distributed edge cracks or symmetrically distributed central cracks. Only a simple finite element mesh with very limited number of regular elements is necessary. Since the solutions are independent of the size of time increment taken, the dynamic stress intensity factors at any specific instant can even be computed by a single time-step instead of step-by-step computations. The interaction among the cracks and finite geometrical boundaries on the dynamic stress intensity factors is also discussed in detail. [S0021-8936(00)02103-6]

PWSCC Crack Growth Modeling Approaches

2011 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. W. Brust ◽  
D.-J. Shim ◽  
G. Wilkowski ◽  
D. Rudland
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Stainless Steel ◽  
Stress Intensity ◽  
Residual Stresses ◽  
Crack Growth ◽  
Corrosion Cracking ◽  
Growth Time ◽  
Pressurized Water ◽  
Primary Water ◽  
Water Reactors

Flaw indications have been found in some dissimilar metal (DM) nozzle to stainless steel piping welds and reactor pressure vessel heads (RPVH) in pressurized water reactors (PWR) throughout the world. The nozzle welds usually involve welding ferritic (often A508) nozzles to 304/316 stainless steel pipe) using Alloy 182/82 weld metal. The welds may become susceptible to a form of corrosion cracking referred to as primary water stress corrosion cracking (PWSCC). It can occur if the temperature is high enough (usually >300C) and the water chemistry in the PWR is typical of operating plants. The weld residual stresses (WRS) induced by the welds are a main driver of PWSCC. Several mechanical mitigation methods to control PWSCC have been developed for use on a nozzle welds in nuclear PWR plants. These methods consist of applying a weld overlay repair (WOR), using a method called mechanical stress improvement process (MSIP), and applying an inlay to the nozzle ID. The purpose of a mitigation method is to reduce the probability that PWSCC will occur in the nozzle joint. The key to assessing the effectiveness of mitigation is to determine the crack growth time to leak with and without the mitigation. Indeed, for WOR and MSIP, the weld residual stresses are often reduced after application while for inlay they are actually increased. However, all approaches reduce crack growth rates if applied properly. Procedures for modeling PWSCC growth tend to vary between organizations performing the analyses. Currently, the prediction of PWSCC crack growth is based on the stress intensity factors at the crack tips. Several methods for evaluating the stress intensity factor for modeling the crack growth through these WRS fields are possible, including using analytical, natural crack growth using finite element methods, and using the finite element alternating method. This paper will summarize the methods used, critique the procedures, and provide some examples for crack growth with and without mitigation. Suggestions for modeling such growth will be provided.

Analysis of Surface Flaw in Pressure Vessels by a New 3-Dimensional Alternating Method

1982 ◽  
Vol 104 (4) ◽  
pp. 299-307 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Nishioka ◽  
S. N. Atluri
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Stress Intensity ◽  
Stress Intensity Factors ◽  
Surface Crack ◽  
Crack Surface ◽  
Pressure Vessels ◽  
Pressure Loading ◽  
Intensity Factors ◽  
Alternating Method ◽  
Magnification Factors

An alternating method, in conjunction with the finite element method and a newly developed analytical solution for an elliptical crack in an infinite solid, is used to determine stress intensity factors for semi-elliptical surface flaws in cylindrical pressure vessels. The present finite element alternating method leads to a very inexpensive procedure for routine evaluation of accurate stress intensity factors for flawed pressure vessels. The problems considered in the present paper are: (i) an outer semi-elliptical surface crack in a thick cylinder, and (ii) inner semi-elliptical surface cracks in a thin cylinder which were recommended for analysis by the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (Section III, App. G, 1977). For each crack geometry of an inner surface crack, seven independent loadings, such as internal pressure loading on the cylinder surface and polynomial pressure loadings from constant to fifth order on the crack surface, are considered. From the analyses of these loadings, the magnification factors for the internal pressure loading and the polynomial influence functions for the polynomial crack surface loadings are determined. By the method of superposition, the magnification factors for internally pressurized cylinders are rederived by using the polynomial influence functions to check the internal consistency of the present analysis. These values agree excellently with the magnification factors obtained directly. The present results are also compared with the results available in literature.

The Mixed-Mode Fracture Analysis of Multiple Embedded Cracks in a Semi-Infinite Plane by an Analytical Alternating Method

2002 ◽  
Vol 124 (4) ◽  
pp. 446-456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chih-Yi Chang ◽  
Chien-Ching Ma
Keyword(s):  
Stress Intensity ◽  
Stress Intensity Factors ◽  
Mixed Mode ◽  
Fundamental Solutions ◽  
Multiple Cracks ◽  
Mixed Mode Fracture ◽  
Infinite Plane ◽  
Intensity Factors ◽  
Alternating Method ◽  
Mode Stress

An efficient analytical alternating method is developed in this paper to evaluate the mixed-mode stress intensity factors of embedded multiple cracks in a semi-infinite plane. Analytical solutions of a semi-infinite plane subjected to a point force applied on the boundary, and a finite crack in an infinite plane subjected to a pair of point forces applied on the crack faces are referred to as fundamental solutions. The Gauss integrations based on these point load fundamental solutions can precisely simulate the conditions of arbitrarily distributed loads. By using these fundamental solutions in conjunction with the analytical alternating technique, the mixed-mode stress intensity factors of embedded multiple cracks in a semi-infinite plane are evaluated. The numerical results of some reduced problems are compared with available results in the literature and excellent agreements are obtained.

Stress Intensity Factors and Weight Functions for Longitudinal Semi-Elliptical Surface Cracks Inside Thick-Walled Cylinders Using Highly-Refined Finite-Element Models

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam R. Hinkle ◽  
James E. Holliday ◽  
David P. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Stress Intensity ◽  
Crack Growth ◽  
Stress Intensity Factors ◽  
Weight Functions ◽  
Finite Element Models ◽  
Surface Cracks ◽  
Intensity Factors ◽  
Surface Flaws ◽  
Field Singularity

Fracture mechanics and fatigue crack-growth analysis rely heavily upon accurate values of stress intensity factors. They provide a convenient, single-parameter description to characterize the amplitude of the stress-field singularity at the crack tip, and are used to correlate brittle fracture and crack growth in pressure vessel and piping applications. Mode-I stress intensity factors that have been obtained for longitudinal semi-elliptical surface flaws on the inside of thick-walled cylinders using highly-refined finite element models are investigated. Using these results, weight function solutions are constructed and selected geometries are validated.

scholarly journals Three- Dimensional Simulation of Crack Propagation using Finite Element Method

2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 892-897 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Stress Intensity ◽  
Crack Growth ◽  
Stress Intensity Factors ◽  
Crack Path ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Life Time ◽  
Intensity Factors ◽  
Growth Step ◽  
Finite Element Software

The 3D finite element software ANSYS Workbench software has been employed for simulation of engineering geometries which are containing a pre-cracks and holes. The new feature in this software is using the smart crack growth procedure and the mesh smoothing technique which provides an adaptive and smooth mesh around the crack path as well as the higher stresses area. Under the assumption of LEFM, the stress intensity factors was used as a crack growth criterion which provided as indicators of failure compared to the fracture toughness or threshold stress intensity factors (SIFs) in both static and dynamic loading respectively. The stress intensity factors were calculated for every crack growth step and the fatigue life time was predicted according to the number of cycles. The effect of the nominal notch position of the crack was illustrated. Simulations performed with Ansys show an identical crack path on structures that is in line with that of the experimental and numerical results performed by other researchers.

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