Plastic Limit Analysis of an Elbow with Various Wall-Thinning Geometries

2008 ◽  
Vol 385-387 ◽  
pp. 833-836
Author(s):  
Sang Min Lee ◽  
Young Hwan Choi ◽  
Hae Dong Chung ◽  
Yoon Suk Chang ◽  
Young Jin Kim
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Bending Moment ◽  
Limit Load ◽  
Nuclear Industry ◽  
Bend Angle ◽  
Piping System ◽  
Plastic Limit ◽  
Limit Loads ◽  
Wall Thinning

A piping system including straight pipes, elbows and tee branches in a nuclear power plant is mostly subjected to severe loading conditions with high temperature and pressure. In particular, the wall-thinning of an elbow due to flow accelerated corrosion is one of safety issues in the nuclear industry. In this respect, it is necessary to investigate the limit loads of an elbow with a wall-thinned part for evaluating integrity. In this paper, three dimensional plastic limit analyses are performed to obtain limit loads of an elbow with different bend angles as well as defect geometries under internal pressure and in-plane/out-of-plane bending moment. The limit loads are also compared with the results from limit load solutions of an uninjured elbow based on the von Mises yield criteria. Finally, the effects of significant factors, bend angle and defect shape, are quantified to estimate the exact load carrying capacity of an elbow during operation.

Effect of Bend Angle on Plastic Limit Loads of Pipe Bends Under In-Plane Bending Moment

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shunjie Li ◽  
Changyu Zhou ◽  
Jian Li ◽  
Xinting Miao
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Stress Concentration ◽  
Large Strain ◽  
Large Angle ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Bending Moment ◽  
Limit Load ◽  
Bend Angle ◽  
Plastic Limit ◽  
Limit Loads

The effect of bend angle on plastic limit loads of pipe bends (elbows) under in-plane opening and closing bending moment is presented using three-dimensional large strain nonlinear finite element analyses. The results show that the presence of ovality significantly leads to the stress concentration in the middle cross section, which is the critical section of pipe bends. Meanwhile the state of stress concentration is also associated with the loading modes including the in-plane opening bending moment and the closing bending moment. Then plastic limit loads of pipe bends are further studied. It is found that plastic limit loads are decreasing with the increase of bend angles. Especially the variation of plastic limit loads of small angle pipe bends (bend angle from the 0 degree to 90 degree) is larger than that of large angle pipe bends (bend angle greater than 90 degree). Based on the finite element results, the present plastic limit load solutions are not fit for the large angle pipe bends (bend angle greater than 90 degree).

FSI-Based Assessment of FAC-Caused Wall Thinned Piping

2009 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sun-Hye Kim ◽  
Yoon-Suk Chang ◽  
Young-Jin Kim
Keyword(s):  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Structural Integrity ◽  
Flow Characteristics ◽  
Limit Load ◽  
Bend Angle ◽  
Piping System ◽  
Integrity Assessment ◽  
Wall Thinning ◽  
Analysis Scheme

Lots of investigations on failures of wall thinned piping have been carried out since the accident of Surry unit 2 in USA. From these preceding efforts, flow accelerated corrosion (FAC) which is a kind of wall thinning phenomenon is revealed main factor of failure of pipes in nuclear power plants. However, there are a few researches which directly take into account of flow characteristics and geometric changes for stress assessment of FAC-caused wall thinned piping. In this paper, structural integrity assessment employing a fluid-structure interaction (FSI) analysis scheme is performed on pipes representing secondary piping system of PWR which consists of straight pipes and elbows of various bend angles. Prior to the assessment, CFD analyses are conducted to predict plausible wall thinning location by considering flow and geometric parameters such as bend angle and radius of elbow. Then, for typical pipe geometry, detailed limit load analyses are performed to calculate maximum stress caused by turbulence and velocity of flow near the wall thinned part. Through these kinds of detailed parametric analyses, effects of FSI were observed, which should be considered for assessment of FAC-caused wall thinned piping.

Limit Load Analysis of Pipe Bend With Extrados Wall Thinning

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
TaeRyong Kim ◽  
ChangKyun Oh
Keyword(s):  
Internal Pressure ◽  
Bending Moment ◽  
Limit Load ◽  
Plastic Limit ◽  
Pipe Bend ◽  
Limit Loads ◽  
Wall Thinning ◽  
Piping Systems ◽  
Load Analysis ◽  
The Difference

Since pipe bend has a characteristic that extrados becomes thinner and intrados thicker after fabrication process, it can be expected to be vulnerable to extrados wall thinning due to corrosion or erosion during its operation. In this paper, limit loads of pipe bend with the thinning are computed under the loading conditions of internal pressure and bending moment. Several case studies with varying geometries and wall thinning shapes are presented. The difference in the limit loads behavior between pipe bend and welded elbow is also reviewed. The calculated plastic limit loads of pipe bend are compared with other research results for the welded elbow. The results show that pipe bend can be applied to safety-related piping systems as far as the internal pressure and bending moment only are considered.

Plastic Limit Loads for Pipe-in-Pipes With Circumferential Through-Wall Cracks Based on Finite Element Analyses

2018 ◽  
Vol 140 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Se-Chang Kim ◽  
Jae-Boong Choi ◽  
Hyun-Su Kim ◽  
Nam-Su Huh ◽  
Kyunghoon Kim
Keyword(s):  
Finite Element ◽  
Extreme Environments ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Bending Moment ◽  
Piping System ◽  
Plastic Limit ◽  
Limit Loads ◽  
Closed Form Solutions ◽  
Integrity Assessment ◽  
Three Dimensional Finite Element

Pipe-in-pipes (PIPs) are generally applied to the extreme environments such as deep-sea and next-generation reactors due to their functionality and robustness. Thus, it is important to estimate the fracture behaviors of PIPs for integrity assessment of this unique piping system. In this work, the plastic collapse behaviors of PIPs with circumferential through-wall cracks (TWCs) are investigated based on three-dimensional finite element (FE) limit analysis, where the crack is assumed to be located at the inner pipe of PIPs. As for loading conditions, internal pressure, axial tension, and global bending moment are considered. In particular, the bending restraint effect induced by interconnection between the inner and outer pipes of PIPs is quantified through the FE analyses considering a practical range of geometries of PIPs. Based on the FE analysis results, the tabular and closed-form solutions of the plastic limit loads of the circumferential through-wall cracked PIPs are proposed, and then, validated against numerical simulations.

Effect of Circumferential Location of Local Wall Thinning Defect on the Collapse Moment of Elbow

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jin Weon Kim ◽  
Yeon Soo Na ◽  
Chi Yong Park
Keyword(s):  
Carbon Steel ◽  
Internal Pressure ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Piping System ◽  
Main Concern ◽  
Wall Thinning ◽  
Bending Load ◽  
Local Wall Thinning ◽  
Steel Piping

Local wall-thinning due to flow-accelerated corrosion is one of the degradation mechanisms of carbon steel piping in nuclear power plant (NPP). It is a main concern in carbon steel piping systems in terms of the safety and operability of the NPP. Recently, the integrity of piping components containing local wall-thinning has become more important for maintaining the reliability of a nuclear piping system, and has been the subject of several studies. However, although wall-thinning in pipe bends and elbows has been frequently reported, its effect on the integrity of pipe bends and elbows has not yet been systematically investigated. Thus, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the circumferential location of a local wall-thinning defect on the collapse behavior of an elbow. For this purpose, the present study used three-dimensional finite element analyses on a 90-degree elbow containing local wall-thinning at the crown of the bend region and evaluated the collapse moment of the wall-thinned elbow under various thinning geometries and loading conditions. The combined internal pressure and bending loads were considered as an applied load. Internal pressure of 0∼20 MPa and both closing-and opening-mode bending were applied. The results of the analyses showed that a reduction in the collapse moment of the elbow due to local wall-thinning was more significant when a defect was located at the crown than when a defect was located at the intrados and extrados. Also, the effect of the internal pressure on the collapse moment depended on the circumferential location of the thinning defect and mode of the bending load.

Limit Load Analysis of Elbow with Local Wall Thinning under Combined Loads

2015 ◽  
Vol 750 ◽  
pp. 198-205
Author(s):  
Peng Cui ◽  
Chang Yu Zhou
Keyword(s):  
Safety Assessment ◽  
Bending Moment ◽  
Limit Load ◽  
Orthogonal Experimental Design ◽  
Limit Loads ◽  
Pressure Pipe ◽  
Combined Loads ◽  
Wall Thinning ◽  
Volume Defect ◽  
Local Wall Thinning

The local wall thinning(LWT) is a kind of common volume defect in pressure pipe. The limit loads of elbows with LWT under pressure, bending moment, torque and their combined loads have been studied in detail by orthogonal experimental design and finite element method. The results have shown that the influence of depth and circumferential length of LWT on the limit load is more obvious compared to that of axial length when an elbow is under pressure, bending moment or torque. The change of limit bending moment and torque with the depth of LWT and circumferential length is significant for an elbow under combined bending moment and torque. At last, the safety assessment equations for elbow under combined in-plane closing bending moment and torque were proposed by regression analysis.

Experimental Investigation on Failure Estimation Method for Circumferentially Cracked Pipes Subjected to Combined Bending and Torsion Loads

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yinsheng Li ◽  
Kunio Hasegawa ◽  
Michiya Sakai ◽  
Shinichi Matsuura ◽  
Naoki Miura
Keyword(s):  
Experimental Investigation ◽  
Pressure Vessel ◽  
Nuclear Power ◽  
Power Plants ◽  
Structural Integrity ◽  
Estimation Method ◽  
Bending Moment ◽  
Limit Load ◽  
Piping System ◽  
Torsion Moment

When a crack is detected in a nuclear piping system during in-service inspections, the failure estimation method provided in codes such as the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section XI or JSME Rules on Fitness-for-Service for Nuclear Power Plants can be applied to evaluate the structural integrity of the cracked pipe. In the current codes, the failure estimation method for circumferentially cracked pipes includes bending moment and axial force due to pressure. Torsion moment is not considered. The Working Group on Pipe Flaw Evaluation for the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section XI is developing guidance for combining torsion load within the existing solutions provided in Appendix C for bending and pressure loadings on a pipe. A failure estimation method for circumferentially cracked pipes subjected to general loading conditions including bending moment, internal pressure and torsion moment with general magnitude has been proposed based on analytical investigations on the limit load for cracked pipes. In this study, experimental investigation was conducted to confirm the applicability of the proposed failure estimation method. Experiments were carried out on 8-inch diameter Schedule 80 stainless steel pipes containing a circumferential surface crack. Based on the experimental results, the proposed failure estimation method was confirmed to be applicable to cracked pipes subjected to combined bending and torsion moments.

Analytical Limit Loads for Tube Sections With Circumferential Degradation

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Reinhardt ◽  
X. Wang
Keyword(s):  
Analytical Solutions ◽  
Load Capacity ◽  
Bending Moment ◽  
Limit Load ◽  
Thin Wall ◽  
Plastic Limit ◽  
Tubes And Pipes ◽  
Limit Loads ◽  
Plastic Limit Load ◽  
Analytical Limit

The fracture mechanics evaluation of tubes and pipes with circumferential degradation typically requires that the plastic limit load capacity be evaluated under a combination of axial force and bending moment loading. Most available analytical solutions are thin-wall approximations and may not work well for heavy-wall applications. The present paper derives an analytical limit load for a cylindrical pipe or tube with a partial circumferential, partial through-wall flaw and its bounding cases (through wall partial circumferential and uniform circumferential part-throughwall flaw). The solution is not in closed form, but can be easily solved with available mathematical software like MathCAD. The obtained limit loads for a steam generator tube are compared to those from simplified analytical solutions. The effect of tube supports on the limit load of a tube with non-axisymmetric flaw is discussed with a simplified model.

Effects of the Bend Angle and the Length of the Attached Straight Pipe on Plastic Loads for Pipe Bends

2007 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chang-Sik Oh ◽  
Yun-Jae Kim
Keyword(s):  
Limit Load ◽  
Small Strain ◽  
Bend Angle ◽  
Plastic Limit ◽  
Straight Pipe ◽  
Pipe Bend ◽  
Limit Loads ◽  
Perfectly Plastic ◽  
Plastic Materials ◽  
Elastic Perfectly Plastic

This paper quantifies effects of the bend angle and the length of the attached straight pipe on plastic limit loads of the 90° pipe bend, based on small strain FE limit analyses using elastic-perfectly plastic materials with the small geometry change option. It is found that the effect of the length of the attached straight pipe on plastic limit loads can be significant, and the limit loads tend to decrease with decrease of the length of the attached straight pipe. Regarding the effect of the bend angle, it is found the plastic load smoothly changes from the limit load of the straight pipe when the bend angle approaches zero to the plastic load of the 90° pipe bend when the bend angle approaches 90 degree.

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