James Paul Rouse

Small punch creep testing: review on modelling and data interpretation

Abstract In many situations where the characterisation of the mechanical behaviour of a specific material is required, source material for manufacture of conventional test specimens may be at a premium. Examples include the validation of new alloys for use in the power industry, the description of the heat affected zone (HAZ) of weldments1 or performing a remnant life study on an in service component (such as steam pipe work used extensively in the power generation industry). The potential for a limit in sample material has necessitated the development of small specimen designs and associated test methods, particularly for the determination of the creep behaviour of a sample material. The small punch creep test (SPCT) has the potential to characterise the full uniaxial creep curve (as the specimen is taken to fracture). It is for this reason that the small punch creep test has attracted much interest from the research community. Owing to the complex deformation mechanism interactions experienced in the small punch creep test, interpretation of the results has received attention from many authors since its application was proposed by Parker et al. in the 1990s2 (based on small punch plasticity test by Manahan et al. in the 1980s3–5). In this review paper, several methods for the interpretation of small punch creep test (SPCT) data are reported and compared, together with examples of their application. Considerations for finite element (FE) modelling of small punch creep tests are highlighted and critiqued. Recommendations for potential areas of future research are also presented based on the authors’ investigation into published literature and research.

Comparison of several optimisation strategies for the determination of material constants in the Chaboche visco-plasticity model

Determining representative material constant sets for models that can accurately predict the complex plasticity and creep behaviour of components undergoing cyclic loading is of great interest to many industries. The Chaboche unified visco-plasticity model is an example of a model that, with the correct modifications, shows much promise for this particular application. Methods to approximate material constant values in the Chaboche model have been well established; however, the need for optimisation of these parameters is vital due to assumptions made in the initial estimation process. Optimisation of a material constant set is conducted by fitting the predicted response to the experimental results of cyclic tests. It is expected that any experimental data set (found using the same values of test parameters such as temperature; the dependency of which is not accounted for in the original Chaboche model) should yield a single set of optimised material parameters for a given material. In practice, this may not be the case. Experimental test programs usually include multiple loading waveforms; therefore, it is often possible to optimise for separate, different sets of material constants for the same material operating under comparable conditions. Several optimisation strategies that utilise multiple sets of experimental data to form the objective functions in optimisation programs have been applied and critiqued. A procedure that evaluates objective functions derived from the multiple experimental data types simultaneously (i.e. in the same optimisation iteration) was found to give the most consistently high-quality fitting. In the present work, this is demonstrated using cyclic experimental data for a P91 steel at 600 °C. Similar strategies may be applied to many constitutive laws that require some form of optimisation to determine material constant values.

Experimental and numerical analysis of initial plasticity in P91 steel small punch creep samples

To date, the complex behaviour of small punch creep test (SPCT) specimens has not been completely understood, making the test hard to numerically model and the data difficult to interpret. This paper presents a novel numerical model able to generate results that match the experimental findings. For the first time, pre-strained uniaxial creep test data of a P91 steel at 600 ∘C have been implemented in a conveniently modified Liu and Murakami creep damage model in order to simulate the effects of the initial localised plasticity on the subsequent creep response of a small punch creep test specimen. Finite element (FE) results, in terms of creep displacement rate and time to failure, obtained by the modified Liu and Murakami model are in good agreement with experimental small punch creep test data. The rupture times obtained by the FE calculations which make use of the non-modified creep damage model are one order of magnitude shorter than those obtained by using the modified constitutive model. Although further investigation is needed, this novel approach has confirmed that the effects of initial localised plasticity, taking place in the early stages of small punch creep test, cannot be neglected. The new results, obtained by using the modified constitutive model, show a significant improvement with respect to those obtained by a ’state of the art’ creep damage constitutive model (the Liu and Murakami constitutive model) both in terms of minimum load-line displacement rate and time to rupture. The new modelling method will potentially lead to improved capability for SPCT data interpretation.

Cyclic Viscoplasticity Testing and Modeling of a Service-Aged P91 Steel

A service-aged P91 steel was used to perform an experimental program of cyclic mechanical testing in the temperature range of 400 °C–600 °C, under isothermal conditions, using both saw-tooth and dwell (inclusion of a constant strain dwell period at the maximum (tensile) strain within the cycle) waveforms. The results of this testing were used to identify the material constants for a modified Chaboche, unified viscoplasticity model, which can deal with rate-dependant cyclic effects, such as combined isotropic and kinematic hardening, and time-dependent effects, such as creep, associated with viscoplasticity. The model has been modified in order that the two-stage (nonlinear primary and linear secondary) softening which occurs within the cyclic response of the service-aged P91 material is accounted for and accurately predicted. The characterization of the cyclic viscoplasticity behavior of the service-aged P91 material at 500 °C is presented and compared to experimental stress–strain loops, cyclic softening and creep relaxation, obtained from the cyclic isothermal tests.

Effective determination of cyclic-visco-plasticity material properties using an optimisation procedure and experimental data exhibiting scatter

Abstract It may be inevitable in the design and analysis of most high temperature components (such as power industry pipe work) that variations in load and/or temperature will occur in normal operation. This presents complications in the prediction of the response of such components due to potential hardening or softening effects caused by the accumulation of plastic strain. Furthermore, interactions between hardening (or softening) behaviour and creep may be observed, particularly in high temperature applications. In this paper, the Chaboche model is described as it has the potential to represent this type of behaviour. An optimisation procedure for fine tuning material constants is developed and presented. This is a key step as the determination of initial estimates requires several assumptions to be made. Several potential pitfalls in optimisation procedures are described and addressed, mainly through the application of experimental data cleaning as a pre-processing procedure. This removes unavoidable experimental scatter that inhibits optimisation. Investigations into the effects of variations in the initial conditions on optimised material constant values and the number of data points selected on computational times are made to aid in the application of similar optimisation procedures. The superior fitting given by the implementation of an optimisation procedure is verified by applying it to the results of strain controlled cyclic tests of a P91 steel at 600°C.

The effects of scoop sampling on the creep behaviour of power plant straight pipes

Small specimen testing techniques are potentially highly useful procedures which could be used to determine many fundamental material properties from relatively small amounts of sample material. Small specimens can be manufactured from scoop samples taken from the surface of a component, allowing for continued operation after sampling. In the past, it has been assumed that, provided the wall thickness dimension around the specimen sample site is greater than the minimum design requirement, the action of scoop sampling will not greatly compromise the future operation of the component. Little study has been completed, however, to verify this assumption or to evaluate the likely reduction in remnant life due to scoop sampling. In the present study, a finite element investigation is made into the effects of scoop sampling on the stress states and failure lives of power plant straight pipes under steady-state creep conditions. Loading conditions considered include an internal pressure load only (assuming closed-end conditions), as well as system loading (in the form of additional axial and in-plane bending moment loading). Typically, the application of system loading increases the likelihood of failure being controlled by the stress states in the vicinity of a scoop excavation. This leads to potentially significant reductions (up to approximately 90%) in creep life of straight piping components. Parametric equations (valid for a range of pipe geometries and scoop cut depths) have been proposed, which can estimate the stress riser effect in the vicinity of an excavation sample under closed-end and additional axial loading conditions.

A Comparison of Simple Methods to Incorporate Material Temperature Dependency in the Green's Function Method for Estimating Transient Thermal Stresses in Thick-Walled Power Plant Components

The threat of thermal fatigue is an increasing concern for thermal power plant operators due to the increasing tendency to adopt “two-shifting” operating procedures. Thermal plants are likely to remain part of the energy portfolio for the foreseeable future and are under societal pressures to generate in a highly flexible and efficient manner. The Green’s function method offers a flexible approach to determine reference elastic solutions for transient thermal stress problems. In order to simplify integration, it is often assumed that Green’s functions (derived from finite element unit temperature step solutions) are temperature independent (this is not the case due to the temperature dependency of material parameters). The present work offers a simple method to approximate a material’s temperature dependency using multiple reference unit solutions and an interpolation procedure. Thermal stress histories are predicted and compared for realistic temperature cycles using distinct techniques. The proposed interpolation method generally performs as well as (if not better) than the optimum single Green’s function or the previously-suggested weighting function technique (particularly for large temperature increments). Coefficients of determination are typically above 0.96, and peak stress differences between true and predicted datasets are always less than 10 MPa.

A Method to Approximate the Steady-State Creep Response of Three-Dimensional Pipe Bend Finite Element Models Under Internal Pressure Loading Using Two-Dimensional Axisymmetric Models

Pipe bends are regions of geometric discontinuities in the pipe systems used in power plants and most industry recorded failures have been located around similar regions. Understanding these potential locations of weakness is therefore of great interest for the safe and economic operation of piping components. Increased predictive accuracy would assist in component design, condition monitoring, and retirement strategy decisions. Modeling of piping components for finite element analysis (FEA) is complicated by the variation of the cross section dimensions (changes in wall thicknesses or cross section ovality) around the pipe bend due to the manufacturing procedure implemented. Quantities such as peak rupture stress and creep rupture life can be greatly affected by these geometric variation (Rouse, J. P., Leom, M. Z., Sun, W., Hyde, T. H., Morris, A., “Steady-state Creep Peak Rupture Stresses in 90 Pipe Bends with Manufacture Induced Cross Section Dimension Variations”International Journal of Pressure Vessels and Piping, Volumes 105–106, May–June 2013, pp. 1–11). Three dimensional (3D) models can be used to approximate to the realistic level of detail found in pipe bends. These simulations may however be computationally expensive and could take a considerable amount of time to complete. Two dimensional (2D) axisymmetric models are relatively straight forward to produce and quick to run, but of course cannot represent the full geometric complexity around the pipe bend. A method is proposed that utilises multiple 2D axisymmetric pipe bend models to approximate the result of a 3D analysis through interpolation, thus exploiting the greatly reduced computing time observed for the 2D models. The prediction of peak rupture stress (both magnitude and location) is assessed using a simple power law material model. Comments are made on the applicability of the proposed procedure to a range of bends angles (90 deg, 60 deg, and 30 deg), as well as the effect of the stress exponent (n) and tri-axial (α) material constants. Provided that peak stresses do not occur at the bend/straight interface, the magnitude and location of the peak rupture stress can be predicted by the 2D axisymmetric interpolation method with a typical percentage difference of less than 1%.

Cyclic Visco-Plasticity Testing and Modelling of a Service-Aged P91 Steel

A service-aged P91 steel was used to perform an experimental programme of cyclic mechanical testing in the temperature range of 400°C to 600°C, under isothermal conditions, using both saw-tooth and dwell (inclusion of a constant strain dwell period at the maximum (tensile) strain within the cycle) waveforms. The results of this testing were used to identify the material constants for a modified Chaboche, unified visco-plasticity model, which can deal with rate-dependant cyclic effects, such as combined isotropic and kinematic hardening, and time-dependent effects, such as creep, associated with visco-plasticity. The model has been modified in order that the two-stage (non-linear primary and linear secondary) softening which occurs within the cyclic response of the service-aged P91 material is accounted for and accurately predicted. The characterisation of the cyclic visco-plasticity behaviour of the service-aged P91 material at 500°C is presented and compared to experimental stress-strain loops, cyclic softening and creep relaxation, obtained from the cyclic isothermal tests.Copyright