Fracture Analysis of Thick-Walled Spherical Pressure Vessels Under Thermomechanical Loading

Eskandari, Hadi; Ghanbari, Moslem

doi:10.22050/ijogst.2022.241483.1557

Fracture Analysis of Thick-Walled Spherical Pressure Vessels Under Thermomechanical Loading

Document Type : Research Paper

Authors

Hadi eskandari ¹

Moslem Ghanbari ²

¹ Assistant Professor, Department of Technical Inspection, Petroleum University of Technology, Abadan, Iran

² M.S. Student, Petroleum University of Technology, Abadan, Iran

https://doi.org/10.22050/ijogst.2022.241483.1557

Abstract

The present study deals with the geometry effects of the spherical pressure vessels (SPV) and the crack configuration on the variation of the stress intensity factor (SIF) through the crack line. The vessel is assumed to contain a semi-elliptical crack on the inner surface. The pressurized vessel is subjected to the pressure and thermal gradient (thermomechanical loading). The 3-D analysis of defective thick-walled pressurized spherical vessels is conducted using the numerical finite element method (FEM). This work covers various crack configurations in vessels with different geometries. The effect of the various parameters, such as thermal gradient, R_o/R_i, a/i, and a/t, on the variation of the dominant first mode of SIF through the crack front is studied. The obtained SIFs are compared with the mechanical loading results (without the thermal gradient). The results show that crack parameters (the aspect ratio and the crack depth), the wall thickness of the vessel, and the structural loading can significantly affect the distribution of the values of SIF through the crack front. Keywords: Semi-elliptical Crack, Spherical Pressure Vessel, Stress Intensity Factor, Thermomechanical Loading

Highlights

Dimensional fracture analysis of spherical pressure vessels is performed;
Spherical vessels are subjected to thermomechanical loading;
Cracks with a semi-elliptical profile are studied;
The stress intensity factor values are obtained through ANSYS parametric design language.

Keywords

Stress Intensity Factor

Semi-Elliptical Defect

Pressurized Sphere Vessel

Thermo-Mechanical loading

Subjects

Mechanical Engineering

ANSYS 15.0 FE Program Package, ANSYS Inc, 2014.

API 579-1/ASME FFS-1, Fitness-For-Service, Appendix C, 2nd Ed. American Petroleum Institute, 2007.

Chen, J. and Pan, H., Stress Intensity Factor of Semi-Elliptical Surface Crack in A Cylinder with Hoop Wrapped Composite Layer, International Journal of Pressure Vessel and Piping, Vol. 30, p. 1–5, 2013.

Eskandari, H., Stress Intensity Factors for Crack Located at An Arbitrary Position in Rotating FGM Disks, Jordan Journal of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Vol. 8, No. 1, p. 27–34, 2014.

Eskandari, H., Three-Dimensional Finite Element Analysis of Stress Intensity Factors in A Spherical Pressure Vessel with Functionally Graded Coating, Journal of Solid Mechanics, Vol. 9, No. 4, p. 751–758, 2017.

Fathi, A. and Al-Shamma, The Effect of Fatigue on Crack Propagation in Flat Plates Under Buckling Bending and Shear, Jordan Journal of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, Vol. 3, No. 3, p. 206–215, 2009.

Gery, W., Leak-Before-Break, What Does It Really Mean? Journal of Pressure Vessel Technology, Vol. 122, No. 3, p. 267–272, 2000.

Habibim, N. and Bahrampour, H., Estimation of The SIF in FGM Spherical Pressure Vessel, Australian Journal of Mechanical Engineering, p. 1–24, 2020.

Hakimi, A.E., Le Grognec, P., and Hariri, S., Numerical and Analytical Study of Severity of Cracks in Cylindrical and Spherical Shells, Engineering Fracture Mechanics, Vol. 75, p. 1027–1044, 2008.

Leyent, A. and Secilaltundagartem, H., Axisymmetric Crack Problem of Thick-Walled Cylinder with Loadings on Crack Surfaces, Engineering Fracture Mechanics, Vol. 75, p. 1294–1309, 2005.

Murtaza, U.T. and Javed Hyder, M., The Effects of Thermal Stresses on the Elliptical Surface Cracks in PWR Reactor Pressure Vessel, Theoretical and Applied Fracture Mechanics, Vol. 75, p. 124–136, 2015.

Nabavi, S.M. and Shahani, A.R., Calculation of Stress Intensity Factors for A Longitudinal Semielliptical Crack in A Finite-Length Thick-Walled Cylinder, Fatigue and Fracture of Engineering Materials and Structures, Vol. 31, p. 85–94, 2008.

Perl, M. and Bernshtein, V., 3-D Stress Intensity Factors for Arrays of Inner Radial Lunular or Crescentic Cracks in A Typical Spherical Pressure Vessel, Engineering Fracture Mechanics, Vol. 77, p. 535–548, 2010.

Perl, M. and Bernshtein, V., 3-D Stress Intensity Factors for Arrays of Inner Radial Lunular or Crescentic Cracks in Thin and Thick Spherical Pressure Vessels, Engineering Fracture Mechanics, Vol. 78, p. 1466–1477, 2011.

Perl, M. and Bernshtein, V., Three-Dimensional Stress Intensity Factors for Ring Cracks and Arrays of Coplanar Cracks Emanating from The Inner Surface of a Spherical Pressure Vessel, Engineering Fracture Mechanics, Vol. 94, p. 71–84, 2012.

Zhang, C., Cui, M., Wang, J., Gao, X.W., Sladek, J., and Sladek, V., 3D Crack Analysis in Functionally Graded Materials, Engineering Fracture Mechanics, Vol. 78, p. 585–604, 2011.