Experimental Investigation of Failure Estimation Method for Circumferentially Cracked Pipes Subjected to Combined Bending and Torsion Moments

2014 ◽  
Vol 137 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yinsheng Li ◽  
Kunio Hasegawa ◽  
Michiya Sakai ◽  
Shinichi Matsuura ◽  
Naoki Miura

When a crack is detected in a nuclear piping system during in-service inspections, failure estimation method provided in codes such as ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section XI or JSME Rules on Fitness-for-Service for Nuclear Power Plants can be applied to evaluate the structural integrity of the cracked pipe. In the current codes, the failure estimation method for circumferentially cracked pipes is applicable for both bending moment and axial force due to pressure. Torsion moment is not considered. Recently, two failure estimation methods for circumferentially cracked pipes subjected to combined bending and torsion moments were proposed based on analytical investigations on the limit load for cracked pipes. In this study, experimental investigation was conducted to confirm the applicability of the failure estimation method for cracked pipes subjected to bending and torsion moments. Experiments were carried out on 8-in. diameter Schedule 80 stainless steel pipes containing a circumferential surface crack. Based on the experimental results, the proposed failure estimation methods were confirmed to be applicable to cracked pipes subjected to combined bending and torsion moments.

Author(s):  
Yinsheng Li ◽  
Kunio Hasegawa ◽  
Michiya Sakai ◽  
Shinichi Matsuura ◽  
Naoki Miura

When a crack is detected in a nuclear piping system during in-service inspections, the failure estimation method provided in codes such as the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section XI or JSME Rules on Fitness-for-Service for Nuclear Power Plants can be applied to evaluate the structural integrity of the cracked pipe. In the current codes, the failure estimation method for circumferentially cracked pipes includes bending moment and axial force due to pressure. Torsion moment is not considered. The Working Group on Pipe Flaw Evaluation for the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section XI is developing guidance for combining torsion load within the existing solutions provided in Appendix C for bending and pressure loadings on a pipe. A failure estimation method for circumferentially cracked pipes subjected to general loading conditions including bending moment, internal pressure and torsion moment with general magnitude has been proposed based on analytical investigations on the limit load for cracked pipes. In this study, experimental investigation was conducted to confirm the applicability of the proposed failure estimation method. Experiments were carried out on 8-inch diameter Schedule 80 stainless steel pipes containing a circumferential surface crack. Based on the experimental results, the proposed failure estimation method was confirmed to be applicable to cracked pipes subjected to combined bending and torsion moments.


Author(s):  
Yinsheng Li ◽  
Kunio Hasegawa ◽  
Naoki Miura ◽  
Katsuaki Hoshino

When a crack is detected in a piping line during in-service inspections, failure estimation method provided in ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section XI or JSME Rules on Fitness-for-Service for Nuclear Power Plants can be applied to evaluate the structural integrity of the cracked pipe. The failure estimation method in the current codes accounts for the bending moment and axial force due to pressure. The torsion moment is not considered. Recently, analytical investigations have been carried out by several authors on the limit load of cracked pipes considering multi-axial loads including torsion and two failure estimation methods for multi-axial loads including torsion moment with different ranges of values have been proposed. In this study, to investigate the failure behavior of cracked pipes subjected to multi-axial loads including the torsion moment and to provide experimental support for the failure estimation methods, failure experiments were performed on 20 mm diameter stainless steel pipes with a circumferential surface crack or a through-wall crack under combined axial force and bending and torsion moments. Based on the experimental results, the proposed failure estimation methods were confirmed to be applicable to cracked pipes subjected to multi-axial loads.


2016 ◽  
Vol 139 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yinsheng Li ◽  
Kunio Hasegawa ◽  
Naoki Miura ◽  
Katsuaki Hoshino

When a crack is detected in a piping line during in-service inspections, failure estimation method provided in ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section XI (ASME Code Section XI) or JSME Rules on Fitness-for-Service for Nuclear Power Plants (JSME FFS Code) can be applied to evaluate the structural integrity of the cracked pipe. The failure estimation method in the current codes accounts for the bending moment and axial force due to pressure. The torsion moment is not considered. Recently, analytical investigation was carried out by the authors on the limit load of cracked pipes considering multi-axial loads including torsion. Two failure estimation methods for multi-axial loads including torsion moment with different ranges were proposed. In this study, to investigate the failure behavior of cracked pipes subjected to multi-axial loads including the torsion moment and to provide experimental support for the failure estimation methods, failure experiments were performed on 20 mm diameter stainless steel pipes with a circumferential surface crack or a through-wall crack under combined axial force, bending moment, and torsion moment. Based on the experimental results, the proposed failure estimation methods were confirmed to be applicable to cracked pipes subjected to multi-axial loads.


Author(s):  
Sun-Hye Kim ◽  
Yoon-Suk Chang ◽  
Young-Jin Kim

Lots of investigations on failures of wall thinned piping have been carried out since the accident of Surry unit 2 in USA. From these preceding efforts, flow accelerated corrosion (FAC) which is a kind of wall thinning phenomenon is revealed main factor of failure of pipes in nuclear power plants. However, there are a few researches which directly take into account of flow characteristics and geometric changes for stress assessment of FAC-caused wall thinned piping. In this paper, structural integrity assessment employing a fluid-structure interaction (FSI) analysis scheme is performed on pipes representing secondary piping system of PWR which consists of straight pipes and elbows of various bend angles. Prior to the assessment, CFD analyses are conducted to predict plausible wall thinning location by considering flow and geometric parameters such as bend angle and radius of elbow. Then, for typical pipe geometry, detailed limit load analyses are performed to calculate maximum stress caused by turbulence and velocity of flow near the wall thinned part. Through these kinds of detailed parametric analyses, effects of FSI were observed, which should be considered for assessment of FAC-caused wall thinned piping.


Author(s):  
Yinsheng Li ◽  
Kunio Hasegawa ◽  
Naoki Miura ◽  
Katsuaki Hoshino

When a crack is detected in a stainless steel pipe during in-service inspections, the failure estimation method given in codes such as the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section XI or JSME Rules on Fitness-for-Service for Nuclear Power Plants can be applied to evaluate the structural integrity of the cracked pipe. In the current codes, the failure estimation method includes the bending moment and axial force due to pressure. The torsion moment is assumed to be relatively small and is not considered. Recently, analytical investigations considering multi-axial loads including torsion were conducted in several previous studies by examining the limit load for pipes with a circumferential crack. A failure estimation method for the combined bending moment, torsion moment and internal pressure was proposed. In this study, the failure behavior of pipes with a circumferential crack subjected to multi-axial loads including the torsion is investigated to provide experimental support for the failure estimation method. Experiments were carried out on small size stainless steel cylinders containing a circumferential surface or through-wall crack, subjected to the combined tensile and torsion loads. Based on the experimental results, the proposed failure estimation method was confirmed to be applicable to cracked pipes subjected to combined tensile and torsion loads.


2014 ◽  
Vol 136 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Naoki Miura ◽  
Katsuaki Hoshino ◽  
Yinsheng Li ◽  
Kunio Hasegawa

When a crack-like-flaw is detected in piping during in-service inspection, the limit load criterion given in the codes such as JSME Rules on Fitness-for-Service for Nuclear Power Plants or ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section XI can be applied to evaluate the structural integrity of the piping. However, in-service piping is generally subjected to combined tensile, bending, and torsional loading, and a methodology to evaluate the limit moment for torsion has not yet been established because of inadequate experimental validation. In this study, fracture tests were conducted for circumferentially cracked cylinders subjected to torsional moment. The experimental maximum moments were compared with the limit moments, which were evaluated on the basis of the net-section-collapse criterion for torsional moment. The maximum moments can be conservatively predicted by the net-section-collapse criterion.


Author(s):  
Yinsheng Li ◽  
Kunio Hasegawa ◽  
Naoki Miura ◽  
Katsuaki Hoshino

When a crack is detected in a stainless steel pipe during in-service inspections, the failure estimation method given in the codes such as ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section XI or JSME Rules on Fitness-for-Service for Nuclear Power Plants can be applied to evaluate the integrity of the cracked pipe. In the current codes, the failure estimation method considers the bending moment and axial force due to pressure. The torsion moment is assumed to be relatively small and is not considered in the method. Recently, an analytical investigation has been carried out by several of our authors on the limit load considering multi-axial loads including torsion, and a failure estimation method for combined bending moment, torsion moment and internal pressure is proposed. In this study, to investigate the failure behavior of cracked pipes subjected to multi-axial loads, including the torsion, and to provide experimental support for the failure estimation method, experiments were carried out on small sized stainless steel cylinders containing a circumferential surface and a through-wall crack, taking into consideration the combined tensile and torsion loads. Based on the experimental results, the proposed failure estimation method is verified for cracked pipes subjected to multi-axial loads.


Author(s):  
Yinsheng Li ◽  
Kunio Hasegawa ◽  
Naoki Miura ◽  
Katsuaki Hoshino

When a flaw is detected in the stainless steel pipes at nuclear power plants during in-service inspections, the limit load estimation method provided in the codes such as JSME Rules on Fitness-for-Service for Nuclear Power Plants or ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section XI can be applied to evaluate the integrity of the flawed pipe. However, in these current codes, the limit load estimation method is only derived for pipes containing a flaw with uniform depth, although many flaws with complicated shapes, such as stress corrosion cracks, have actually been detected in pipes. In order to evaluate the integrity of the flawed pipes in a more rational way, a limit load estimation method has been proposed by authors considering the complicated circumferential surface flaw in its shape. In this study, failure bending experiments are performed for stainless steel pipes containing a circumferential surface flaw with a complicated asymmetrical shape. The proposed method is verified by comparing with experimental results of failure bending moments obtained in this study and in previous experiments. It is observed that the predicted failure bending moments by the proposed method are consistent with the experimental results, and the proposed method is applicable to estimate the realistic load-carrying capacity of flawed pipes.


2008 ◽  
Vol 385-387 ◽  
pp. 833-836
Author(s):  
Sang Min Lee ◽  
Young Hwan Choi ◽  
Hae Dong Chung ◽  
Yoon Suk Chang ◽  
Young Jin Kim

A piping system including straight pipes, elbows and tee branches in a nuclear power plant is mostly subjected to severe loading conditions with high temperature and pressure. In particular, the wall-thinning of an elbow due to flow accelerated corrosion is one of safety issues in the nuclear industry. In this respect, it is necessary to investigate the limit loads of an elbow with a wall-thinned part for evaluating integrity. In this paper, three dimensional plastic limit analyses are performed to obtain limit loads of an elbow with different bend angles as well as defect geometries under internal pressure and in-plane/out-of-plane bending moment. The limit loads are also compared with the results from limit load solutions of an uninjured elbow based on the von Mises yield criteria. Finally, the effects of significant factors, bend angle and defect shape, are quantified to estimate the exact load carrying capacity of an elbow during operation.


Author(s):  
Kei Kobayashi ◽  
Takashi Satoh ◽  
Nobuyuki Kojima ◽  
Kiyoshi Hattori ◽  
Masaki Nakagawa ◽  
...  

The present design damping constants for nuclear power plant (NPP)’s piping system in Japan were developed through discussion among expert researchers, electric utilities and power plant manufactures. They are standardized in “Technical guidelines for seismic design of Nuclear Power Plants” (JEAG 4601-1991 Supplemental Edition). But some of the damping constants are too conservative because of a lack of experimental data. To improve this excessive conservatism, piping systems supported by U-bolts were chosen and U-bolt support element test and piping model excitation test were performed to obtain proper damping constants. The damping mechanism consists of damping due to piping materials, damping due to fluid interaction, damping due to plastic deformation of piping and supports, and damping due to friction and collision between piping and supports. Because the damping due to friction and collision was considered to be dominant, we focused our effort on formulating these phenomena by a physical model. The validity of damping estimation method was confirmed by comparing data that was obtained from the elemental tests and the actual scale piping model test. New design damping constants were decided from the damping estimations for piping systems in an actual plant. From now on, we will use the new design damping constants for U-bolt support piping systems, which were proposed from this study, as a standard in the Japanese piping seismic design.


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