Katsumasa Miyazaki

Fracture behavior of carbon steel pipe with local wall thinning subjected to bending load

To evaluate the structural integrity of power plant piping, monotonic bending tests are conducted on 4- and 3.5-in. diameter full-scale carbon steel pipe specimens with local wall thinning. The local wall thinning is simulated as erosion/corrosion metal loss. The eroded area of the wall thinning is subjected to tensile or compressive stress by applied bending moment. The deformations or fracture behaviors at maximum moments are found to be classified into three types. When the eroded area is subjected to tensile stress, ovalization or crack initiation/growth occurs at the maximum moment. When an eroded area is subjected to compressive stress, ovalization or local buckling occurs. The occurrence of ovalization, crack initiation/growth, or local buckling depends on the initial size of local wall thinning. From the relationships among ovalization, crack growth and local buckling, allowable sizes for local wall thinning are proposed.

Fracture and general yield for carbon steel pipes with local wall thinning

Abstract Monotonic bending tests without internal pressure are conducted on 4 and 3.5 in. diameter full-scale carbon steel pipe specimens with local wall thinning in order to evaluate the structural integrity of power plant piping. The local wall thinning is simulated as erosion/corrosion metal loss. The eroded area of the wall thinning is subjected to tensile or compressive stress by applied bending moment. The maximum moments obtained from the tests are compared with the plastic collapse moments based on the net-section stress approach. The net-section stress approach based on flow stress σ f gives a conservative estimation, sometimes overly conservative. Although the net-section approach based on ultimate tensile strength σ u gives a slightly non-conservative estimation for some cases, the calculated values are close to the experimental data. Using the net-section stress approach based on σ u , the eroded depth and the angle at which a pipe undergoes general yielding were obtained.

Fracture strength and behavior of carbon steel pipes with local wall thinning subjected to cyclic bending load

The power plant piping is designed to withstand seismic events using the design fatigue curve. However, the fatigue strength of a pipe with local wall thinning caused by erosion/corrosion is not clear. To evaluate the fatigue strength of pipes with local wall thinning, low cycle fatigue tests were conducted on 100A carbon steel pipes with local wall thinning. In load controlled tests on these pipes, ratcheting deformation was observed, and the fatigue strength became lower than that of cracked pipes. In displacement controlled tests, the fatigue strength of eroded pipes with 100 mm in eroded axial length, 0.5 in normalized eroded depth and 90° in eroded angle was almost equal to that given by the design fatigue curve in ASME B&PV Code Sec. III. To evaluate the local strain range in the maximum wall thinning area, the finite element analysis was conducted on the eroded pipes in the displacement controlled tests. It is concluded that the Mises strain range in the maximum wall thinning area and the low cycle fatigue curve can be used to conservatively estimate the low cycle fatigue life of an eroded pipe and the validity of estimated results can be confirmed experimentally.

Failure Mode and Failure Strengths for Wall Thinning Straight Pipes and Elbows Subjected to Seismic Loading

It is important to assess the failure strengths for pipes with wall thinning to maintain the integrity of the piping systems and to make codification of allowable wall thinning. Full-scale fracture experiments on cyclic loading under constant internal pressure were performed for 4in. diameter straight pipes and 8in. diameter elbow pipes at ambient temperature. The experiments were low cycle fatigue under displacement controlled conditions. It is shown that a dominant failure mode under cyclic loading for straight pipes and elbows is crack initiation∕growth accompanying swelling by ratchet or buckling with crack initiation. When the thinning depth is deep, the failure mode is burst and crack growth with ratchet swelling. In addition, failure strengths were compared with the design fatigue curve of the ASME Code Sec. III. It is shown that pipes with wall thinning less than 50% of wall thickness have sufficient margins against a seismic event of the safety shutdown earthquake.

Experimental Study of Ductile Fracture for Non-Aligned Multiple Flaws in a Plate

The fitness-for-service code requires the characterization of non-aligned multiple flaws for the flaw evaluation, which is performed using a flaw proximity rule. Worldwide almost all codes provide own proximity rule, often with unclear technical bases of the application of proximity rule to ductile fracture. To clarify the appropriate proximity rule for non-aligned multiple flaws in fully plastic fracture, fracture tests on flat plate specimen with non-aligned multiple through wall flaws were conducted at ambient temperature. The emphasis of this study was put on the flaw alignment rule, which determines whether non-aligned flaws are treated as independent or aligned onto the same plane for the purpose of flaw evaluations. The effects of the flaw separation and flaw size on the maximum load were investigated. The experimental results were compared with the estimations of the collapse load using the alignment rules in the ASME Section XI, BS7910 and API 579-1 codes. A new estimation procedure specific to the fully plastic fracture was proposed and compared with the comparison with the experimental results.Copyright

Prediction of Fully Plastic Failure Stresses for Pipes With Multiple Circumferential Flaws

Fully plastic failure stress for a single circumferential flaw on a pipe is evaluated by the limit load criteria in accordance with Appendix E-8 in the JSME S NA-1-2004 and Appendix C in the ASME Code Section XI. However, multiple flaws such as stress corrosion cracking are frequently detected in the same circumferential cross section in a pipe. If the distance between adjacent flaws is short, the two flaws are combined as a single flaw in compliance with combination rules. If the two flaws separated by a large distance, it is not required to combine two flaws. However, there is no evaluation method for two flawed pipe in the JSME and ASME Codes. Failure stress for pipes with two circumferential flaws based on net-stress approach had been proposed by one of the authors. The present paper is concerned with the comparison of experimental data and the proposed theoretical method for pipes with circumferentially multiple flaws.Copyright

Alignment Rule for Non-Aligned Flaws for Fitness-for-Service Evaluations Based on LEFM

If multiple discrete flaws are detected that are in close proximity to one another, alignment rules are used to determine whether the flaws should be treated as nonaligned or as coplanar. Alignment rules are defined in many fitness for-service codes and standards in the world. However, the criteria of the alignment rules are different in these codes and standards. This paper introduces the current alignment rules and, in addition, interaction of stress intensity factors for nonaligned through-wall flaws was calculated by finite element analysis. Also, brittle fracture experiments were performed on carbon steel plates with two nonaligned flaws. From these calculations and experiments, authors studied the effect of stress intensity factor interaction on fracture behavior and proposed a new alignment rule for linear elastic fracture mechanics evaluation.

Development of a flaw evaluation handbook of the high pressure institute of Japan

This paper introduces a handbook, which is edited by the High Pressure Institute of Japan to support engineers who evaluate flaws detected in nuclear power components according to the Japanese fitness-for-service code. The handbook is written in Japanese and contains basic information on fracture mechanics as well as the specific flaw evaluation procedures and material properties data stipulated in the code. The main features of the handbook are summarized in the paper.

Prediction of Fully Plastic Collapse Stresses for Pipes With Two Circumferential Flaws

Fully plastic collapse stress for a single circumferential flaw on a pipe is evaluated by the limit load criteria in accordance with the JSME Code S NA-1-2004 and the ASME Code Section XI. However, multiple flaws such as stress corrosion cracking are frequently detected in the same circumferential cross section in a pipe. If the distance between adjacent flaws is short, the two flaws are combined as a single flaw in compliance with combination rules. If the two flaws separated by a large distance, it is not required to combine two flaws. However, there is no evaluation method for two separated flaws in a pipe in the JSME and ASME Codes. Plastic collapse stresses for pipes with two symmetrical circumferential flaws based on net-stress approach had been proposed by one of the authors. Bending tests were performed on Type 304 stainless steel pipes with two symmetrical circumferential flaws. Consequently, it was shown that the proposed method can predict well the plastic collapse stresses for pipes with two flaws. In addition, it is also shown that this method is appropriate to use in fitness-for-service procedures, and higher plastic collapse stresses are expected, compared with current prediction methods for pipes with two flaws.

Evaluation of Alignment Rules Using Stainless Steel Pipes With Non-Aligned Flaws

Multiple flaws such as stress corrosion cracks are frequently detected in the same welded lines in pipes. If multiple discrete flaws are in close proximity to one another, alignment rules are used to determine whether the flaws should be treated as non-aligned or as coplanar. Alignment rules are provided in fitness-for-service codes, such as ASME, JSME, API 579, BS 7910, etc. However, the criteria of the alignment rules are different among these codes. This paper briefly introduces these flaw alignment rules, and four-point bending tests performed on stainless steel pipes with two non-aligned flaws. The experimental plastic collapse stresses are determined from the collapse loads and compared with collapse stresses calculated from the limit load criteria. The limit loads are obtained for single non-aligned or aligned coplanar flaws in accordance with the alignment rules. On this basis, the conservatism of the alignment rules in the above codes is assessed.© 2009 ASME