Use of life and strain fraction rules for creep life prediction of pressurized pipe components undergoing geometry change

The results of creep failure life predictions of pressurized plain pipes, pipe bends, and a thick-walled pipe with a circumferential weld are used to demonstrate the applicability of a stress-based life fraction rule (LFR) and a strain-based strain fraction rule (SFR), under conditions of geometric non-linearity (GNL). The material properties used are related to a CrMoV pipe, at 640 degrees C. Both the LFR and the SFR predictions are based on the stress and strain solutions obtained from the finite element calculations using a Norton creep law. The results obtained were compared with those obtained from corresponding creep damage analyses. For the cases investigated, it has been shown that, compared with damage results, conservative failure lives with consistent failure positions were obtained for the pipe weld, using both the LFR and the SFR methods. For plain pipes and pipe bends, the SFR prediction produces conservative results. However, the LFR prediction overestimates the failure life for the range of pipe diameter ratios investigated. The results obtained indicate that the LFR and SFR methods have potential for predicting creep failure lives in cases when the effect of geometry change is significant and hence the method based on the steady state peak stresses obtained from small deformation analysis is not applicable.