Mark Turski

High-resolution strain mapping in bulk samples using full-profile analysis of energy-dispersive synchrotron X-ray diffraction data

The feasibility of both high spatial and strain resolution is demonstrated using high-energy X-rays between 100 and 300 keV on beamline ID15A at the ESRF. The data analysis was performed using a multiple-peak Pawley-type refinement on the recorded spectra. An asymmetric peak profile was necessary in order to obtain a point-to-point uncertainty of 10−5. The measurements have been validated with complementary techniques or reference data.

Measured residual stress distributions for low and high heat input single weld beads deposited on to SA508 steel

Abstract In steel welds, the development of residual stress is often complicated by the solid state phase transformations that occur upon cooling. Here the authors present bulk residual stress distributions, as measured by neutron diffraction, for the configuration of a single pass gas tungsten arc weld bead deposited on to a 20 mm thick SA508 steel substrate. Two specimens were manufactured, one with a low heat input (1·2 kJ mm−1) and another with a high heat input (2·4 kJ mm−1). The resulting microstructures and residual stress distributions are discussed in terms of the differing thermal excursions across each weld. In regions that are austenitised during welding, the transformation strain on cooling is shown to compensate in part for thermal contraction strains. Accordingly, phase transformations in SA508 steel led to significant reductions in stress within the weld bead and much of the heat affected zone, while the highest tensile stresses were located immediately outside the heat affected zone boundary in the untransformed region.

Residual Stress Measurements in Single and Multi-Pass Groove Weld Specimens Using Neutron Diffraction and the Contour Method

This paper describes the measurement of longitudinal residual stresses within specially designed 200x180x25mm groove weld specimens. The purpose of these measurements was to compare the residual stress field arising from single and multi-pass weld beads laid down within the constraint of a groove in order to validate finite element simulations of the welding process. Measurements were made over the cross section at the mid-bead length, utilising the relatively new Contour method and neutron diffraction. Results from these measurements indicate a larger peak tensile longitudinal residual stresses within the weld region of the multi-pass weld sample. Good agreement is found between both techniques.

Spatially Resolved Materials Property Data From a Uniaxial Cross-Weld Tensile Test

Application of electronic speckle pattern interferometry (ESPI) is described to measure the spatial variation in monotonic tensile stress-strain properties along “cross-weld” specimens machined from a stainless steel three-pass welded plate. The technique, which could also be done with digital image correlation, was applied to quantify how the material 0.2%, 1%, 2%, 5%, 10%, and 20% proof stress varied with distance from the center-line of the weldment for parent and weld material associated with the first and final passes. The stress-strain curves measured by the ESPI method correlated closely with stress-strain data measured using conventional test specimens. The measured results are consistent with the hypothesis that thermo-mechanical cycles associated with the welding process work harden previously deposited (single-pass) weld metal and the surrounding parent material. The stress-strain response of the heat affected zone adjacent to the first weld pass is consistent with an accumulated (equivalent monotonic) plastic strain of 6.5% and that of the first pass weld bead was consistent with an accumulated plastic strain of approximately 4% greater than the state of the final pass weld metal

Residual Stress Driven Creep Cracking in Type 316 Stainless Steel

Specially designed AISI Type 316H austenitic stainless steel 25 mm thick compact tension specimens have been plastically deformed to produce significant tensile hydrostatic residual stresses at the notch root at mid-thickness. These specimens were thermally exposed at 550 °C for 4500 hours in order to study elevated temperature creep relaxation of residual stress and the development of reheat cracking creep damage. Residual strains within the specimens were measured using diffraction techniques before and after thermal exposure. A three-dimensional finite element model was developed both to predict the residual stress within the specimens before and after thermal exposure. No reheat cracking was found near surface, but due to the reduced creep ductility with increasing hydrostatic stress, significant creep cavitation was found mid-thickness. A previously developed creep damage model was applied to predict the onset of reheat cracking. Good correlation has been found between measurements and finite element predictions of strain and stress before and after thermal exposure. The extent of creep damage has also been assessed through destructive examination, providing validation for the creep damage prediction model.

Advances in Residual Stress Modeling and Measurement for the Structural Integrity Assessment of Welded Thermal Power Plant

The safe operation of both thermal and nuclear power plant is increasingly dependent upon structural integrity assessment of pressure vessels and piping. Furthermore, structural failures most commonly occur at welds so the accurate design and remnant life assessment of welded plant is critical. The residual stress distribution assumed in defect assessments often has a deciding influence on the analysis outcome, and in the absence of accurate and reliable knowledge of the weld residual stresses, the design codes and procedures use assumptions that yield very conservative assessments that can severely limit the economic life of some plant. However, recent advances in both the modeling and measurement of residual stresses in welded structures and components open up the possibility of characterising weld residual stresses in operating plant using state-of–the–art fully validated Finite Element simulations. This paper describes research undertaken to predict residual stresses in stainless steel welds in order to provide validated reliable, accurate Structural Integrity assessment of nuclear power plant components

Determination of weld metal mechanical properties utilising novel tensile testing methods

The aim of this study was to develop a method of extracting local mechanical properties from weld metal by strain mapping using the digital image correlation (DIC) technique. The feasibility of determining local stress-strain behaviour in the weld zone of a 316H stainless steel pipe with a girth weld was investigated by tensile tests of specimens machined from the pipe so that it contained the weld at its centre. The tensile test was recorded using a high resolution digital camera and the DIC technique was used to obtain the complete set of full field displacement maps during the tensile test. The local strain was calculated at every sub-region of 32×32 pixels, which enabled the local stress-strain behaviour for this region to be determined. Results from these tests show the variability of the elastic modulus, yield stress and UTS across the weld. To check the reliability of the technique, a set of micro tensile samples, with gauge length of 3.7mm and crosssectional area of 0.7×0.7 mm2, were machined from the various locations in and around the weld zone. The comparison of stress-strain curves determined from micro-samples to stress-strain curves from the corresponding locations within a larger more conventional tensile specimen shows reasonably good agreement.

Use of micro tensile test samples in determining the remnant life of pressure vessel steels

The aim of this collaborative study was to measure mechanical properties of 14MoV67-3 steel taken from small sections of material machined in-situ from an operating high pressure collector pipe after different operating lifetimes (from 0h to 186 000h) at elevated temperatures (540°C). Conventional methods of measuring mechanical properties of materials, such as the uniaxial tensile test require relatively large test samples. This can create difficulties when the amount of material available for testing is limited. One way of measuring mechanical properties from small quantities of material is using micro tensile test samples. In this work, micro-samples with a total length of 7.22mm were used. Digital Image Correlation method (DIC) was employed for the strain measurements in a uniaxial tensile test. This paper shows that there is measurable difference in the yield, ultimate tensile strength and elongation to failure as a function of the plant operating conditions. This work demonstrates, therefore, a ‘semi-invasive’ method of determining uniaxial stress-strain behaviour from plant components.

Residual stress measurements revealing weld bead start and stop effects in single and multi-pass weld-runs

This paper describes transverse residual stress and strain measurements aimed at quantifying end effects in single and multi-pass weld-runs. Two test specimens are examined: a 60 mm long weld bead deposited on the surface of a 180 mm × 120 mm × 17 mm thick stainless steel plate, and a 62° arc-length multi-pass repair weld in a 432 mm outer diameter, 19.6 mm thick stainless steel pipe girth weld. The residual stress measurements were made by employing the relatively new Contour method and by neutron diffraction using ENGIN-X, the engineering spectrometer at the ISIS facility of the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (UK). The measured underlying transverse residual stress levels are observed to be essentially uniform directly beneath the weld bead in the plate specimen and in the heat affected zone beneath the capping passes moving from mid-length towards the stop-end of the pipe repair. However, results from both test components demonstrate the existence of short-range concentrations of transverse residual stress along the welding direction owing to individual weld capping bead start and stop effects. Such short length-scale stress variations must be allowed for when interpreting residual stress measurements from line-scans. The experimental work also demonstrates the importance of knowing the expected stress or strain distribution prior to choosing measurement lines for detailed study. The Contour measurement method and neutron strain scanning are powerful tools for mapping residual stress and strain fields. Copyright

The Effect of Plastic Anisotropy on the Residual Stress within a 316L Stainless Steel Bead-on-Plate Specimen

Plastic anisotropy can affect the strains measured by neutron diffraction. If this is not properly accounted for significant errors can result in the calculated stresses. This paper illustrates addresses this issue using measurements of the residual strain field around a 60 mm long single weld bead deposited on the surface of a 17 mm thick stainless steel plate. Measurements were made on ENGIN-X, the engineering spectrometer at the ISIS facility of the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory (UK). Diffraction spectra from these measurements have been fitted using both single and multi-peak fitting approaches. Both residual strain and stress results have been presented for (111) and (200) single peak fits and compared to a multi-peak fit (Rietveld) analysis. Results from these analyses have revealed significant anisotropy in the response of the individual lattice planes. This effect is most severe in measurements carried out in the normal direction and is shown to be predicted using an elasto-plastic self-consistent model.