Development of New Design Fatigue Curves in Japan: Proposal of a New Fatigue Evaluation Method

In order to develop new design fatigue curves for carbon steels & low-alloy steels and austenitic stainless steels and a new design fatigue evaluation method that are rational and have clear design basis, Design Fatigue Curve (DFC) Phase 1 subcommittee and Phase 2 subcommittee were established in the Atomic Energy Research Committee in the Japan Welding Engineering Society (JWES). The study on design fatigue curves was actively performed in the subcommittees. In the subcommittees, domestic and foreign fatigue data of small test specimens in air were collected and a comprehensive fatigue database (≈6000 data) was constructed and the accurate best-fit curves of carbon steels & low-alloy steels and austenitic stainless steels were developed. Design factors were investigated. Also, a Japanese utility collaborative project performed large scale fatigue tests using austenitic stainless steel piping and low-alloy steel flat plates as well as fatigue tests using small specimens to obtain not only basic data but also fatigue data of mean stress effect, surface finish effect and size effect. Those test results were provided to the subcommittee and utilized the above studies. Based on the above studies, a new fatigue evaluation method has been developed.

Analysis of the Influence of the Cooling Patterns and the Shape of the Bulges on the Levels of Stress in the Cylindrical Section of Delayed Coke Drums

Coke drums are thin-walled pressure vessels that experience low cycle fatigue due to thermal loadings. The delayed coking process is comprised by three major stages: heating, coking and cooling, which repeat at intervals between 20 and 48 hours. The cyclic changes of temperature increase the growth of bulges and cracks which with the passing of time, propagate and eventually cause failures due to the loss of containment. A better understanding of the phenomena of the thermal gradients and their influence on the generated stresses would reduce the effects of the damage mechanisms afflicting coke drums, for example; a continuous monitoring system could be implemented in order to control the cooling ramp to obtain a more homogeneous quenching around the cylinder of the coke drum and consequently increase its lifetime. It is been widely accepted that there is a relationship between high cooling rates in isolated zones and high axial stresses. However, this relationship has not been fully validated, since there are also been reported events of low cooling rates and high stresses. This study shows a predictable behavior (trend) that relates the spatial thermal gradients and the axial and circumferential stresses generated. A coke drum in an upgrader facility was instrumented with two arrays or grids, each of them having 24 thermocouples and 2 strain gauges in zones with distinct bulges. One arrangement was located at an inward bulge while the other was located at an outward bulge. Computational models were carried out to reproduce the behavior of the instrumented zones with their actual deformations obtained from laser scanning. Finite element models were developed using a sequentially coupled thermo-mechanical analysis to determine the transient temperature and stress distributions. The effect of the circumferential thermal gradients on the stress levels in the instrumented cylindrical sections were analyzed, considering two cases; the first of them a perfect cylinder (without deformation) and the second one considering the presence of bulges in the area of interest. The results indicate that there is a relationship between the circumferential thermal gradients [°C/m] or [°F/ft] and the axial stress levels, i.e., cold zones generate axial tensile stresses, and hot zones produce compressive axial stresses. This relationship is affected — exacerbated or counteracted — by the presence of the bulges. Additionally, the results obtained in this paper confirm those of previous investigations showing that outward bulges subject to pressure and thermal loading generate high stresses on its internal surface and low stresses on its external face whereas inward bulges produce the opposite effect.

Visualization of Thermal Fatigue Damage Distribution With Elastic-Plastic FEA

This paper proposes simplified methods to evaluate fatigue damage in a component subjected to cyclic thermal loading, in order to visualize the distribution of usage factor using a graphical user interface (GUI) incorporated in a widely-used commercial CAE. The objective is to perform the evaluation and visualization using a standard desktop PC. In the previous paper, three simplified methods based on elastic finite-element analysis (FEA) were proposed in place of the method in the procedures employed in ASME Section III Subsection NH. In this paper, the methods have been improved for elastic-plastic FEA. A previously performed thermal fatigue test with a type 304 stainless steel cylinder was simulated. Heat transfer, elastic, and inelastic analyses were conducted. Simultaneously with the analyses performed, the equivalent total strain ranges and fatigue usage factor distributions were calculated using user subroutines developed in this study including three newly proposed simplified and ASME NH-based methods. These distributions can be visualized on a GUI incorporated in a commercial FEA code. The calculation results were consistent with the distribution of cracks observed. In addition, by using these, the analysts can visualize these distributions using their familiar CAE system.

Local Mesh Refinement for Correlation of FEA Estimated Plastic Strain to Tests in Areas of High Plastic Strain

The total strain, elastic plus plastic, was measured with strain gages on valve bodies with internal pressure that caused surface yielding. The correlation of the simulated maximum principal strain was compared to strain gage data. A mesh sensitivity study shows that in regions of large plastic strain, mesh elements are required that are an order of magnitude smaller than what is used for linear elastic stress analysis for the same structure. A local mesh refinement was adequate to resolve the local high strain values. Both the location and magnitude of the maximum strain changed with a local mesh refinement. The local mesh refinement requirement was consistent over several structures that were tested. The test and simulation work will be presented along with the mesh sensitivity study. Some results on using an energy stabilization technique to aid convergence will be presented in terms of the impact on the predicted plastic strain.

Influence of Weld Residual Stresses on Ductile Crack Behavior in AISI Type 316LN Stainless Steel Weld Joint

Welding residual stress is one of the main concerns in the process of fabrication and operation because of failures in welded steel joints due to its potential effect on structural integrity. This work focuses on the effect of welding residual stress on the ductile crack growth behavior in AISI 316LN welded CT specimens. Two-dimensional plane strain model has been used to simulate the CT specimen. X-ray diffraction technique is used to obtain residual stress value at the SS 316LN weld joint. The GTN model has been employed to estimate the ductile crack growth behavior in the CT-specimen. Results show that residual stresses influence the ductile crack growth behavior. The effect of residual stress has also been investigated for cases with different initial void volume fraction, crack lengths.

Shakedown-Ratcheting Analysis of a Spherical Pressure Vessel by Anisotropic Continuum Damage Mechanics

In cyclic loading and when plastic flow occurs, discontinuities grow. In this research, interaction diagram of Bree has been developed when the spherical pressure vessel contains discontinuities such as voids and microcracks. Bree’s diagram is used for ratcheting assessment of pressurized equipment in ASME III NH. Nature of these defects leads to an anisotropic damage. Anisotropic Continuum Damage Mechanics (CDM) is considered to account effects of these discontinuities on the behavior of the structure. Shakedown – ratcheting response of a hollow sphere under constant internal pressure and cyclic thermal loadings are studied by using anisotropic CDM theory coupled with nonlinear kinematic hardening of Armstrong-Frederick m’s model (A-F). Return mapping method is used to solve numerically the developed relations. Elastic, elastic shakedown, plastic shakedown and ratcheting regions are illustrated in the modified Bree’s diagram. Influence of anisotropic damage due to the plastic deformation is studied and it was shown that the plastic shakedown region is diminished because of the developed damage.

Assembly of Bolted Flanged and Support Joints for Use in Elevated Temperature Exhaust Systems

Ancillary exhaust system structural design for turbines typically employs a separation of responsibilities between the design and installation functions. The design expectations must be implemented correctly during the installation phase to allow long-term serviceability and success of the turbine exhaust system. This paper will explore a case study reviewing bolt tightening of duct structural angle and plate flange joints using compressible high temperature fiberglass gasket material, as well as design suggestions for metal-on-metal duct sliding support joints to structural steel. Improper design and operation can lead to failure, downtime, warranty cost and reduced design life of the exhaust system. It is not uncommon for field installation personnel to modify key system design requirements during the installation phase; typically out of habit, perceived best practice, missed installation instructions and/or misunderstanding the system behavior. In addition, maintenance recommendations are often overlooked. Literature provides extensive background for bolting of stationary metal-to-metal plate joints, rigid gaskets and pressure vessel joints. There is a gap with respect to structural angle and plate flange joint bolt tensioning using compressible fiberglass gaskets at low pressures and high temperatures. Much of the industry standard tightening philosophy is useful, but has not been extensively studied and written about with respect to flanges under high exhaust temperatures or for sliding joints exposed to thermal expansion. This paper summarizes current industry practice, presents relevant test data and a case study, analyzes the effects of high thermal stresses, and recommends a tightening procedure for typical field applications of flange joints using high temperature gaskets, and the design of metal-to-metal sliding support joints.

Dimensional Changes of Graphite Flakes and Fracture in Tensile Tests of Gray Cast Iron

Gray cast iron has been used as a component in various mechanical parts, such as the blocks and heads of automobile and marine engines, cylinder liners for internal combustion engines, and machine tool bases. It is desirable because of its good castability and machinability, damping characteristics, and high ratio of performance to cost. On the other hand, the weak graphite flakes present in gray cast iron act as stress concentrators and negatively affect the strength of this material. It is therefore important to know the relationship between the distribution of graphite flakes and the strength or fracture of gray cast iron. In this study, a tensile test of gray cast iron was carried out using a plate specimen in a scanning electron microscope, and the microscopic deformation was observed on the surface of specimen. Particularly, the change in the size of graphite flakes during the tensile test was examined, and the observed trend was discussed. We found from the experimental results that the dimensional changes in the graphite flakes varied in the observed area, and that the final fracture occurred in an area where a relatively large dimensional change was observed. This suggests that the fracture location or the critical parts of gray cast iron, can be predictable from the dimensional changes of the graphite flakes at an early stage of deformation.

Development of New Design Fatigue Curves in Japan: Discussion of Best-Fit Curves Based on Large-Scale Fatigue Tests of Carbon and Low-Alloy Steel Plates

In Japan, the Design Fatigue Curve (DFC) Phase 1 and Phase 2 subcommittees were organized under the Atomic Energy Research Committee in the Japan Welding Engineering Society and have proposed new design fatigue curves for carbon, low-alloy, and austenitic stainless steels. To confirm the validity of the proposed design fatigue curves, a Japanese utility collaborative project was launched. In this project, fatigue tests were conducted on large-scale and small-sized specimens, and the test data were provided to the DFC Phase 2 subcommittee. This paper discusses the best-fit curves proposed by the DFC Phase 1 subcommittee, focusing on the results of large-scale fatigue tests for carbon steel and low-alloy steel plates. The fatigue test results for large-scale specimens were compared with the best-fit curve proposed by the DFC Phase 1 subcommittee. This comparison revealed that the fatigue lives given by the proposed curves correspond to those of approximately 1.5–4.0-mm-deep crack initiation in large-scale specimens. In this program, fatigue tests with a mean strain were also carried out on large-scale specimens. These tests found that the fatigue lives were almost equivalent to those of approximately 4.4–7.0-mm-deep crack initiation in large-scale specimens. In determining a design fatigue curve, strain-controlled tests are usually performed on small-sized specimens, and the fatigue life is then defined by the 25% load drop. It is reported that the cracks reach nearly 3–4-mm depth under those 25% drop cycles. The test results confirm that the fatigue lives of large-scale specimens agree with those given by the best-fit curve for carbon and low-alloy steels, and no remarkable size effects exist for the crack depths compared in this study.