APPLICATION OF EQUIVALENT CTOD RATIO TO FRACTURE ASSESSMENT OF STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS

ABSTRACT Plastic constraint correction using the equivalent CTOD concept has been studied in the IST project. This project was carried out over a 3-year period with the foundation of METI in Japan, and the results were summarized in a draft standard, "Method of constraint loss correction of CTOD fracture toughness for fracture assessment of steel component." Equivalent CTOD ratio β is proposed in terms of constraint loss correction between the fracture performance of steel structures and fracture toughness tests using the Weibull stress as the driving force of brittle fracture. This paper provides the application procedure of Equivalent CTOD ratio to the fracture assessment of structural components. Equivalent CTOD ratio was taken in the fracture assessment diagram, and discussed the applicability by comparison with large scale test result of structural component such as Edge Surface Crack Panel, Center Through-wall crack panel and so on

Analysis of Statistical Scatter in Charpy Impact Toughness

Abstract. Charpy impact toughness values show large statistical scatter, particularly in the ductile-to-brittle transition temperature (DBTT) range. Although the statistical distribution of Charpy absorbed energy has not been clarified, critical values of the stress intensity factor, J-integral and crack-tip opening displacement (CTOD) at brittle fracture generally show the Weibull distribution with two or three parameters. This study proposes a brittle fracture model, based on the weakest link theory, for evaluating the scatter in Charpy absorbed energy KV. The numerical results show that the amplitude of the opening stress fields ahead of the V-notch at varying amounts of KV are uniquely characterized as the square of the applied load. With these numerical results, the Weibull shape parameter of the statistical distribution of KV is almost equal to 2. The proposed statistical model is verified through experimental results. It is found that the statistical distribution of KV is characterized by a two-parameter Weibull distribution with the shape parameter of 2 under the condition of pure brittle fracture

Analysis of Statistical Scatter in Charpy Impact Toughness

Abstract. Charpy impact toughness values show large statistical scatter, particularly in the ductile-to-brittle transition temperature (DBTT) range. Although the statistical distribution of Charpy absorbed energy has not been clarified, critical values of the stress intensity factor, J-integral and crack-tip opening displacement (CTOD) at brittle fracture generally show the Weibull distribution with two or three parameters. This study proposes a brittle fracture model, based on the weakest link theory, for evaluating the scatter in Charpy absorbed energy KV. The numerical results show that the amplitude of the opening stress fields ahead of the V-notch at varying amounts of KV are uniquely characterized as the square of the applied load. With these numerical results, the Weibull shape parameter of the statistical distribution of KV is almost equal to 2. The proposed statistical model is verified through experimental results. It is found that the statistical distribution of KV is characterized by a two-parameter Weibull distribution with the shape parameter of 2 under the condition of pure brittle fracture

Effect of irradiation hardening on brittle fracture performance of box-shaped blanket fabricated by F-82H

Fusion reactor blankets designed for DEMO are based on a water cooled ceramic breeder. The unstable fracture of the box-shaped blanket would occur by the superimposition of three factors as follows: (1) it is the reduction of fracture toughness for structural materials, such as F-82H, caused by the significant irradiation hardening, (2) it is the formation of cracks which act as the initiation point of the fracture, and (3) it is the excessive tensile load caused by the inner pressure to In-Box loss of coolant accident (LOCA). In the present study, application of Weibull stress criterion to fracture assessment is to investigate the effect of irradiation hardening on the brittle fracture performance of box-shaped blanket fabricated by F-82H. Both structural analysis of the box-shaped blanket simulating In-Box LOCA and deformation behavior analysis of irradiated toughness specimens were conducted by elastic-plastic finite element analysis (FEA). Weibull stress values calculated from FEA of irradiated toughness specimens were higher than those from FEA of irradiated structural components. It, therefore, is considered that the irradiation hardening of structural materials would not promote the brittle fracture at the corner of rectangular coolant tubes of the blankets caused by the load of In-Box LOCA

Numerical Simulation of Flat-to-slant Ductile Fracture Transition in Notched Plate

AbstractThe effort of this study is to develop a damage model for simulating large ductile crack extension accompanied by a flat and a slant surface observed in the hydrostatic full-scale tests up to rupture for API X80 line pipes with an axial through-wall notch. A small and thin specimen with a shallow through-thickness notch having a large ligament (sub-sized Charpy V-notch (Sub-CVN) specimen subjected to 3-point bending) is used for a fundamental verification study. The Sub-CVN specimen provided the similar macroscopic process as well as micro-mechanism for ductile cracking, where a flat-to-slant fracture transition accompanied by a transition from an equi-axed dimple mode to a shear-slip mode fracture is presented. On the basis of the observed mechanism of ductile crack growth, a numerical ductile damage model for predicting the large ductile crack growth resistance is proposed taking into account an effect of the Lode parameter on ductile fracture into the present damage model proposed by authors. The crucial consideration is that the damage parameters to be identified can be correlated to the material properties. In this model, the shear-dominated stress state is assumed to advance the acceleration of damage evolution due to a shear localization mechanism at lower damage level even at the same stress triaxiality condition, so that the critical damage fraction dependent on the Lode parameter is phenomenologically employed in this model. The modified damage model reproduces the same ductile crack profile together with the same micro-mechanisms for forming the chevron-shaped flat surface as those observed in the experiment. The possibility to reproduce the flat-to-slant fracture transition is also demonstrated by the simulation

Expression of Interleukin-10 by in Vitro and in Vivo Activated Hepatic Stellate Cells

Activated hepatic stellate cells (HSC) participate in matrix remodeling and deposition in liver fibrosis. The present study demonstrates that interleukin (IL)-10 is expressed by HSC upon activation in vitro or in vivo and that autocrine effects of this cytokine include inhibition of collagen production. Culture activation of HSC caused a distinct increase in IL-10 mRNA level compared with freshly isolated quiescent HSC. Treatment of cultured HSC with tumor necrosis factor-alpha, transforming growth factor-beta, or lipopolysaccharide further increased IL-10 mRNA by 2-fold and resulted in the release of IL-10 protein into the medium. HSC isolated from rats after bile duct ligation (BDL) showed prominent increases in IL-10 mRNA (x 100) and protein (x 30) levels at 7 days after BDL, but such induction disappeared in advanced liver fibrosis (19 days after BDL). IL-10 expression correlated positively with mRNA expression of interstitial collagenase and inversely with that of alpha1(I) collagen. Addition of anti-IL-10 IgG to cultured HSC caused enhanced collagen production under a basal or stimulated condition with TGF-beta, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, or lipopolysaccharide. These effects were associated with increased alpha1(I) collagen mRNA and reciprocally reduced collagenase mRNA levels. Co-transfection of HSC with an IL-10 expression vector and collagen reporter genes showed a 40% inhibition of alpha1(I) collagen promoter activity. These results demonstrate that activation of HSC causes enhanced autocrine expression of IL-10 which possesses a negative autoregulatory effect on HSC collagen production mediated at least in part by alpha1(I) collagen transcriptional inhibition and stimulation of collagenase expression. These findings, along with the demonstrated early induction of HSC IL-10 expression and its late disappearance during biliary liver fibrosis, suggest its in vivo role in matrix remodeling and a possibility that failure for HSC to sustain IL-10 expression underlies pathologic progression to liver cirrhosis

INVESTIGATION OF BULGING BEHAVIOR OF COKE DRUM -A PRACTICAL ANALYSIS OF BULGING UNDER COMPLEX QUENCH CONDITIONS

ABSTRACT Coke drums undergo cyclic operations typically in the temperature range from room temperature to about 500°C (930°F). During quenching, the coke drum is inevitably subjected to a rapid drop in temperature because cooling water is injected directly into the coke drum through the bottom inlet nozzle. The temperature profile on the shell surface is uneven during quenching, and can vary in each cycle of the quenching operation. Such a complicated thermal profile induces large strains in the shell portion of the coke drum, and eventually causes damage like bulging and/or cracking. INTRODUCTION Coke drums in oil refineries are designed to upgrade and convert petroleum residuum into liquid and gas product streams leaving behind a solid concentrated petroleum coke. Coke drum diameters range from 4 to 9.8meters (13 to 32') with the straight side being around 25meters (82'). Usually the drum is fabricated from more than 25mm (2") thickness of chromemolybdenum low alloy steel and is clad internally with 2.8mm (7/64") of stainless steel for protection against sulfur corrosion. The outside of the drum is insulated with around 10cm (4") of fiberglass insulation. The authors have investigated the bulging behavior of the coke drum by the thermal elastic-plastic FE-analysis, considering the existence of the overmatch welds and uneven temperature field during quenchin

The role and formation of martensite-austenite constituents in HSLA welded joints

The existence of martensite-austenite constituents in the weld metal and heat-affected zone seriously reduces the fracture toughness of the welded joint. Therefore, we have investigated the formation of the martensite-austenite constituents when high-strength low-alloy steel is welded with a high heat input or using multi-pass welding. This paper deals with the effects of martensite-austenite constituents on the fracture toughness, the metallurgical features of the martensite-austenite constituents, and the prevention and elimination of the martensite-austenite constituents in the welded joints.Martenzitno-avstenitne sestavine v varu in na toplotno vplivanem področju drastično zmanjšujejo lomno žilavost zvara. Zaradi tega je treba posebno pozornost nameniti nastanku teh sestavin pri večvarkovnem varjenju visokotrdnostnih jekel z visoko vneseno energijo. V članku je opisan vpliv martenzitno-avstenitnih sestavin na lomno žilavost, metalurške značilnosti le-teh ter njihovo preprečevanje in odpravljanje v zvarih