Effects of Bending Moment and Torsion on the Internal Pressure Limit Load of Locally Thinned Pipes

Author(s):  
Phuong H. Hoang ◽  
Kunio Hasegawa ◽  
Bostjan Bezensek ◽  
Yinsheng Li

The pipe wall thinning stress evaluation procedures in Code-Case N-597-2 [1] of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel (B&PV) Code are essentially based on Construction Code [2] stress evaluation. Stresses in the hoop and the axial directions are evaluated separately to meet the Construction Code allowable stress. Using Construction Code rules for local pipe wall thinning stress evaluation in Class 2 & 3 piping may be too restrictive. An alternative approach is to use the limit loads of locally wall thinned pipe in conjunction with an appropriate Z-Factor and the structural factors of the ASME B&PV Section XI, Appendix C [3]. Such approach may require a combined effect of pressure, bending, axial load and torsion loads on locally thinned pipe. In this paper, the effects of bending moment and torsion on the internal pressure limit load of locally thinned straight pipes are investigated. Large strain finite element limit load analysis with elastic - perfectly plastic materials are performed for a parametric matrix of piping models with various pipe R/t ratios, flaw depths, axial and transverse flaw extents. Based on the results, the allowable pressure for axial flaws in C-5420 of the ASME B&PV Section XI, Appendix C [3] may be used for piping local wall thinning as an alternative evaluation procedure to the current minimum pipe wall thickness evaluation procedure in the Code Case N-597-2 [1].

Author(s):  
Phuong H. Hoang ◽  
Kunio Hasegawa ◽  
Bostjan Bezensek ◽  
Yinsheng Li

Finite element analysis (FEA) model for pressure limit load is validated using pressure burst test data of locally wall thinning flaws in 4″OD (107.1 mm) carbon steel pipes. It is shown that with a flow stress of 3*Sm, the FEA pressure limit load can reasonably predict the test burst pressure for non-planar flaws in carbon steel pipes. The models are then used to investigate the effects of a combined pressure, bending and torsion loading on piping non-planar flaws. For application, membrane stress structural factors (SFm) for design pressure are calculated for the locally thinning pipe flaws given in AMSE Section XI, Code Case N-597-2, Table -3622-1 for limited transverse extend and tpred≥ 0.3*tmin. The calculated SFm are consistently greater than 2.7, the minimum SFm for Service level A membrane stress given in C-2622 for axial flaws. An improved taloc/tmin curve based on SFm of 2.7 is proposed. It is also shown that a SFm of 2.7 on design pressure is maintained when the flaws are also subjected to a combined moment of bending and torsion, which is equivalent to the bending limit load given in C-5430 for planar circumferential flaws.


Author(s):  
TaeRyong Kim ◽  
ChangKyun Oh

Since pipe bend has a characteristic that extrados becomes thinner and intrados thicker after fabrication process, it can be expected to be vulnerable to extrados wall thinning due to corrosion or erosion during its operation. In this paper, limit loads of pipe bend with the thinning are computed under the loading conditions of internal pressure and bending moment. Several case studies with varying geometries and wall thinning shapes are presented. The difference in the limit loads behavior between pipe bend and welded elbow is also reviewed. The calculated plastic limit loads of pipe bend are compared with other research results for the welded elbow. The results show that pipe bend can be applied to safety-related piping systems as far as the internal pressure and bending moment only are considered.


Author(s):  
Phuong H. Hoang

Non-planar flaw such as local wall thinning flaw is a major piping degradation in nuclear power plants. Hundreds of piping components are inspected and evaluated for pipe wall loss due to flow accelerated corrosion and microbiological corrosion during a typical scheduled refueling outage. The evaluation is typically based on the original code rules for design and construction, and so often that uniformly thin pipe cross section is conservatively assumed. Code Case N-597-2 of ASME B&PV, Section XI Code provides a simplified methodology for local pipe wall thinning evaluation to meet the construction Code requirements for pressure and moment loading. However, it is desirable to develop a methodology for evaluating non-planar flaws that consistent with the Section XI flaw evaluation methodology for operating plants. From the results of recent studies and experimental data, it is reasonable to suggest that the Section XI, Appendix C net section collapse load approach can be used for non-planar flaws in carbon steel piping with an appropriate load multiplier factor. Local strain at non-planar flaws in carbon steel piping may reach a strain instability prior to net section collapse. As load increase, necking starting at onset strain instability leads to crack initiation, coalescence and fracture. Thus, by limiting local strain to material onset strain instability, a load multiplier factor can be developed for evaluating non-planar flaws in carbon steel piping using limit load methodology. In this paper, onset strain instability, which is material strain at the ultimate stress from available tensile test data, is correlated with the material minimum specified elongation for developing a load factor of non-planar flaws in various carbon steel piping subjected to multiaxial loading.


Author(s):  
Kunio Hasegawa ◽  
Katsuyuki Shibata

Wall thinning caused by the flow of water in power piping systems became a major concern to the nuclear power industries. ASME Code Case N-597-3, “Requirements for Analytical Evaluation of Pipe Wall Thinning,” provides procedures and criteria for Code Class 2 and 3 piping for the evaluation of wall thinning. However, analytical evaluation procedure for Class 1 piping is not provideed in the Code Case. Recent full-scale experiments on locally thinned pipes have supported the development of more contemporary failure strength evaluation methodology for Class 1 piping. These evaluation methodologies are applicable for the loading type of bending, tensile or cyclic bending load. Prior to the failure by bending moment, tensile load or cyclic/seismic load, locally wall thinned pipes shall be considered pressure blow out by the internal pressure itself. This paper introduces the failure of a uniformly thinned cylinder by an internal pressure and describes limitation on wall thinning depth to avoid pressure blow out for Class 1 piping.


2012 ◽  
Vol 134 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Phuong H. Hoang ◽  
Kunio Hasegawa ◽  
Bostjan Bezensek ◽  
Yinsheng Li

The circumferential flaw evaluation procedures in ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code Section XI nonmandatory Appendix C are currently limited to straight pipes under pressure and bending loads without consideration of torsion loading. The Working Group on Pipe Flaw Evaluation of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code is developing guidance for considering the effects of torsion by a mean of an equivalent bending moment, which is a square root of sum square combination of bending moment and torsion load with a weighted factor for torsion moment. A torsion weighted factor, Ce, is established in this paper using large strain finite element limit load analysis with elastic perfectly plastic materials. Planar flaws and nonplanar flaws in a 10.75 in. (273 mm) OD pipe are investigated. Additionally, a finite element J-integral calculation is performed for a planar through wall circumferential flaw with elastic plastic materials subjected to bending and torsion load combinations. The proposed Ce factor for planar flaws is intended for use with the ASME B&PV Code Section XI, Appendix C for limit load and Elastic Plastic Fracture Mechanics (EPFM) circumferential planar flaw evaluations.


Author(s):  
Shunjie Li ◽  
Changyu Zhou ◽  
Jian Li ◽  
Xinting Miao

The effect of bend angle on plastic limit loads of pipe bends (elbows) under in-plane opening and closing bending moment is presented using three-dimensional large strain nonlinear finite element analyses. The results show that the presence of ovality significantly leads to the stress concentration in the middle cross section, which is the critical section of pipe bends. Meanwhile the state of stress concentration is also associated with the loading modes including the in-plane opening bending moment and the closing bending moment. Then plastic limit loads of pipe bends are further studied. It is found that plastic limit loads are decreasing with the increase of bend angles. Especially the variation of plastic limit loads of small angle pipe bends (bend angle from the 0 degree to 90 degree) is larger than that of large angle pipe bends (bend angle greater than 90 degree). Based on the finite element results, the present plastic limit load solutions are not fit for the large angle pipe bends (bend angle greater than 90 degree).


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.


2015 ◽  
Vol 137 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Weijie Jiang ◽  
Jianping Zhao

The purpose of this study is to propose a safety assessment procedure for polyethylene (PE) pipe with local wall-thinning defect. A uniaxial tensile test is performed to test the mechanical performance of PE. Then, the constitutive model for PE can be established. The limit load of the PE pipe with local wall-thinning defect can be studied with the method of combining the orthogonal design of experiment and finite element (FE) analysis. Then, the factors of local wall-thinning defect can be analyzed. The results show that the depth of the defect has a great effect on the limit load (internal pressure and bending moment) of PE pipe. The effects that the axial length of the defect and the circumferential length of the defect have on the limit load are not significant. Referring to the safety assessment of metal pipe proposed by GB/T19624-2004, a safety assessment for PE pipe with local wall-thinning defect is revised.


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