Ali Mehmanparast

Creep crack growth rate predictions in 316H steel using stress dependent creep ductility

Abstract Short and long term trends in creep crack growth (CCG) rate data over test times of 500–30 000 h are available for Austenitic Type 316H stainless steel at 550°C using compact tension, C(T), specimens. The relationship between CCG rate and its dependence on creep ductility, strain rate and plastic strain levels has been examined. Uniaxial creep data from a number of batches of 316H stainless steel, over the temperature range 550–750°C, have been collected and analysed. Power-law correlations have been determined between the creep ductility, creep rupture times and average creep strain rate data with stress σ normalised by flow stress σ0·2 over the range 0·2<σ/σ0·2<3 for uniaxial creep tests times between 100 and 100 000 h. Creep ductility exhibits upper shelf and lower shelf values which are joined by a stress dependent transition region. The creep strain rate and creep rupture exponents have been correlated with stress using a two-stage power-law fit over the stress range 0·2<σ/σ0·2<3 for temperatures between 550 and 750°C, where it is known that power-law creep dominates. For temperature and stress ranges where no data are currently available, the data trend lines have been extrapolated to provide predictions over the full stress range. A stress dependent creep ductility and strain rate model has been implemented in a ductility exhaustion constraint based damage model using finite element (FE) analysis to predict CCG rates in 316H stainless steel at 550°C. The predicted CCG results are compared to analytical constant creep ductility CCG models (termed NSW models), assuming both plane stress and plane strain conditions, and validated against long and short term CCG test data at 550°C. Good agreement has been found between the FE predicted CCG trends and the available experimental data over a wide stress range although it has been shown that upper-bound NSW plane strain predictions for long term tests are overly conservative.

Evaluation of the Testing and Analysis Methods in ASTM E2760-10 Creep-Fatigue Crack Growth Testing Standard for a Range of Steels

The development of the ASTM E2760-10, “Creep/Fatigue Crack Growth Testing” standard has initiated a phase of testing, analysis, and round robin initiatives associated with high temperature cyclic loading crack growth tests. Creep and fatigue are two complex independent mechanisms which may assist each other to drive the crack. A simplification of the macro creep/fatigue crack growth response of structures is therefore required. Using a linear cumulative damage method, as proposed in ASTM E2760, and other codes of practice, data for a range of steels are analysed. Limited crack growth data, using test methods similar to ASTM E2760, from previous collaborative projects for a range of steels are presented and analysed to identify the difficulties in the process. Creep-fatigue crack growth tests at frequencies ranging from 10 to 0.001 Hz are examined to consider the testing methodologies and in order to assess the effect of data scatter, dwell times, and the interaction region between creep crack growth (CCG) and fatigue crack growth mechanisms. Given the limited data available and the level of scatter, it can still be shown that the linear cumulative summation of static and high frequency data may be sufficient to predict creep/fatigue interaction both in terms of C* and ΔK, and the level of creep ductility will dictate appropriateness of the correlating parameter employed. Finally, in order to show that the level of data scatter can be dealt with in a predictive manner, the crack initiation and growth rates are also analysed using the NSW CCG model.

AN INVESTIGATION OF IRREGULAR CRACK PATH EFFECTS ON FRACTURE MECHANICS PARAMETERS USING A GRAIN MICROSTRUCTURE MESHING TECHNIQUE

A sub-grain size finite element modelling approach is presented in this paper to investigate variations in fracture mechanics parameters for irregular crack paths. The results can be used when modelling intergranular and transgranular crack growth where creep and fatigue are the dominant failure mechanisms and their crack paths are irregular. A novel method for sub-grain scale finite element mesh consisting of multiple elements encased in ~50–150 μm-sized grains has been developed and implemented in a compact tension, C(T), mesh structure. The replicated shapes and dimensions were derived from an isotropic metallic grain structure using representative random sized grain shapes repeated in sequence ahead of the crack tip. In this way the effects of crack tip angle ahead of the main crack path can be considered in a more realistic manner. A comprehensive sensitivity analysis has been performed for elastic and elastic-plastic materials using ABAQUS and the stress distributions, the stress intensity factor an...

Compressive Pre-Strain Effects on the Creep and Crack Growth Behaviour of 316H Stainless Steel

The effects of compressive plastic pre-strain on the creep deformation and crack growth behaviour of Type 316H stainless steel have been examined. Creep crack growth (CCG) tests have been performed on compact tension specimens of material which had been uniformly pre-strained by 4% and 8% in compression at room temperature. The CCG behaviour of the pre-compressed material has been interpreted in terms of the creep fracture mechanics parameter C* and compared with that of a significant data set of as-received (un-compressed) specimens and with CCG models. All creep testing has been performed at a temperature of 550 °C. High CCG rates, for a given value of C* have been observed for the pre-compressed material, compared with those of as-received material and these data follow the same trends as the long-term CCG data for as-received material. These observations are explained in terms of specimen constraint effects and variations in creep ductility.Copyright

Creep Crack Growth Modelling in 316H Stainless Steel

It has been realised that plasticity has a significant effect on the creep ductility of Austenitic Type 316H stainless steel at \(550\,^\circ \mathrm{{C}}\). Recently a model has been produced to estimate the creep ductility and strain rate as a function of the plastic strain levels in the material. A variable creep ductility model, incorporating stress dependent strain rate effects, has therefore been implemented in a finite element (FE) analysis to predict creep crack growth (CCG) in 316H stainless steel at \(550\,^\circ \mathrm{{C}}\). Recent experimental results have shown that material pre-compression to 8 % plastic strain at room temperature accelerates the creeping rate and significantly reduces the creep ductility of 316H stainless steel at \(550\,^\circ \mathrm{{C}}\). In addition pre-compression significantly hardens the material and thus the levels of plasticity on specimen loading in tension are reduced. As a result, accelerated cracking rates are observed in pre-compressed (PC) materials compared to as-received (AR) (non-compressed) materials. The variable creep ductility FE CCG model has been employed to predict the CCG behaviour of AR and PC materials and to analyse their differences. Comparisons are also made to FE and analytical constant creep ductility models.

Evaluation of fracture mechanics parameters for bimaterial compact tension specimens

Abstract The elastic–plastic fracture mechanics parameter J and its analogous creep fracture parameter C* are widely used to measure the fracture resistance of a material. The non-linear component of the J and C* parameters can be evaluated experimentally using the η factor. For weldments, the η factor is dependent on the relative properties of the base (parent) and weld materials, particularly the mismatch in their yield strengths. In this work, the η factor has been evaluated using non-linear finite element analyses in a standard compact tension C(T) specimen for a power law material. A range of mismatches in base/weld material properties have been considered. A through thickness strip of weld material, of height 2h, has been modelled, which was positioned at the mid height of the specimen. The η factor has been evaluated for a range of crack lengths and power law hardening exponents under both plane stress and plane strain conditions and the results compared with literature where available. For a given crack length and weld width, the η solutions of the undermatched and overmatched conditions examined show a maximum variation of 12% from the mean value. A relationship has been proposed with respect to crack length for the C(T) specimen to describe the decrease in the η factor with an increase in mismatch ratio.

A Microstructural Study of Compressive Plastic Pre-Strain Effects on Creep Damage Behaviour of Type 316H Stainless Steel

Compressive plastic pre-strain induced at room temperature in type 316H stainless steel, significantly influences the tensile, creep deformation and crack growth behaviour of the material. It is known that the material is hardened after pre-strain to 8% plastic strain and thus exhibits little or no plasticity during loading of uniaxial or creep crack growth (CCG) tests. In addition pre-compression (PC) has been found to reduce the creep rupture time, creep ductility and accelerate creep crack growth rates compared to as-received (AR) (i.e. uncompressed) material. In order to understand pre-straining effects on mechanical behaviour of 316H, optical and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies have been performed on uncompressed and 8% pre-compressed material. Samples have been examined in three orientations (i.e. parallel and perpendicular to the pre-compression direction). Furthermore, the influence of cold pre-compression on local creep damage formation ahead of the crack tip on interrupted CCG tests on AR and PC material has been studied. The results are discussed in terms of intergranular and transgranular damage caused by the compression process and the importance of microstructural changes on the mechanical behaviour of the material in long term tests.Copyright

Welding sequence effects on residual stress distribution in offshore wind monopile structures

Residual stresses are often inevitably introduced into the material during the fabrication processes, such as welding, and are known to have significant effects on the subsequent fatigue crack growth behavior of welded structures. In this paper, the importance of welding sequence on residual stress distribution in engineering components has been reviewed. In addition, the findings available in the literature have been used to provide an accurate interpretation of the fatigue crack growth data on specimens extracted from the welded plates employed in offshore wind monopile structures. The results have been discussed in terms of the role of welding sequence in damage inspection and structural integrity assessment of offshore renewable energy structures.

Quantification and Prediction of Residual Stresses in Creep Crack Growth Specimens

An important issue to be considered in the life assessment of power plant components is the effects of prior creep damage on subsequent fatigue crack growth and fracture behavior. To examine these effects, creep damage has been introduced into 316H stainless steel material by interrupting creep crack growth (CCG) tests on compact tension, C(T), specimens at 550 °C. During the CCG tests, the specimen is loaded in tension, crept and unloaded after a small amount of crack extension. This process introduces compressive residual stress fields at the crack tip, which may subsequently affect the fatigue crack growth test results. In this work, neutron diffraction (ND) measurements have been conducted on interrupted CCG test specimens, which contain creep damage local to the crack tip, and the results are compared to predictions obtained from finite element (FE) simulations. Reasonable agreement has been found between the FE predictions and ND measurements.

Specimen Geometry and Size Effects on the Creep Crack Growth Behaviour of P91 Weldments

The influence of specimen size and geometry on the creep crack growth (CCG) behaviour of P91 parent and weld materials at 600–625 °C has been examined. CCG tests have been performed on compact tension, C(T), specimens with an initial crack located in the heat affected zone (HAZ). Further tests have also been performed on specimens made of parent material (PM). Higher creep crack growth rates have been found in the HAZ material compared to the PM when the CCG rate is characterized using the C* fracture mechanics parameter. The experimental data from these tests are compared to those of available from specimens with different size and geometries. The results are discussed in terms of specimen geometry and constraint effects on the CCG behaviour of P91 weldments at elevated temperatures.Copyright