Shilun Sheng

Engineering guide to assessment of creep crack initiation on components by Two-Criteria-Diagram

To assess creep crack initiation on components, it is necessary to consider the stresses at the crack tip as well as in the remaining ligament or farfield region. For that aim the Two-Criteria-Diagram was established. The method was proven by a large number of creep crack initiation results from small and large scale specimens as well as components. In this paper some practical aspects for using the Two-Criteria-Diagram are described. A code of practice for the use of Two-Criteria-Diagram for creep and creep fatigue loading is given. The extension to the latter and the limits of applicability are discussed. The determination of crack initiation in a cast steel containing defects is described as an example showing the advantages of the method for engineering applications.

Assessment of hot tears in cast steel components

Abstract Large scale specimens with real internal defects were taken from castings. The behaviour of the defects under service like loading conditions (creep, creep–fatigue and fatigue tests at 530°C) was studied, accompanied by non-destructive testing and post-test investigations.

Application of an Advanced Creep-Fatigue Procedure for Flexible Design of Steam Turbine Rotors Based on Fracture Mechanics Methods

The demand for steam turbine components is driven by high efficiency but also by high plant operational flexibility. Steam turbine rotors are therefore exposed to increased temperatures and increased number of stress cycles. These aspects should be considered for life-time prediction. Fracture mechanics methods are usually applied when crack like defects are detected for new rotors but also for rotor components in service. Based on the findings a decision has to be made with respect to acceptability considering high temperature effects as well as the expected future operating regime.For defect analysis in the high temperature range, crack initiation and crack propagation under combined creep and fatigue loading need to be taken into account. Based on fracture mechanics methods and long-term testing data, an advanced creep-fatigue procedure for the evaluation of crack initiation and crack growth has been developed within the German Creep Group W14 for creep crack growth behavior. Furthermore, recent studies show that the crack size for creep crack initiation depends on material ductility and creep strain in the ligament.This paper demonstrates the industrial application of the abovementioned method for steam turbine rotor assessment, which has a focus on crack initiation and crack growth under creep-fatigue conditions. For crack initiation, a simplified approach based on defect size and material ductility is compared to a standard approach — Two-Criteria-Diagram (2CD). For the advanced evaluation concept, the creep crack initiation criterion is combined for analysis with a creep-fatigue crack growth procedure. The benefit of the method especially for ductile material will be highlighted.Copyright

Mechanical Behavior of Dissimilar Welds for Steam Turbine Rotors With High Application Temperature

Fossil fired steam power plants of the latest generation require the elevation of steam parameters pressure and temperature to increase efficiency as well as to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. In order to achieve these goals for high temperatures, nickel-base alloys could play an important role for steam turbine applications in the future. Due to technological and economical restrictions, their application in turbine rotors shall be restricted to the most heavily stressed regions. Dissimilar welds offer a known solution to combine nickel-base alloys with ferritic/martensitic steels in this case. Thermal mismatch and differences in high temperature performance of the applied base materials make it very difficult to evaluate the lifetime of such dissimilar welds. Depending on temperature and type of loading, different failure mechanisms can be observed. Further, the type of weld material plays a major role for the service behavior of the weld. Therefore, this paper describes standard creep and fatigue tests which were conducted to identify failure mechanisms and failure locations at the weld zone. To simulate the outcome of the creep tests, a modified Graham-Walles approach is used that also accounts for the different creep behavior of the heat affected zones (HAZs) compared to the base material. For the simulation of the fatigue tests, the model type Chaboche–Nouailhas–Ohno–Wang (CNOW) is used. The results contribute to better knowledge in designing dissimilar welds between nickel-base alloys and martensitic steels under high temperature loading.