Evaluation of Controlling Transient Ramp Times Using Piping Methodologies When Considering Environmental Fatigue (F_en) Effects

As a part of the 2006 ASME Code support being provided by the Materials Reliability Program (MRP) Fatigue Issue Task Group (ITG), and later the Technical Support Committee (TSC), it is desired to develop a solution that establishes the most severe transient for design purposes when environmental fatigue rules are considered. This problem does not have an obvious answer, since the environmental fatigue multiplier (e.g., F_en) expressions depend on the strain rate during a transient. The strain rate in a thermal transient is dependent on the ramp time of the temperature change. Classically, fatigue analysis has been performed by conservatively considering that temperature changes are instantaneous (e.g., ramp time = zero). This results in maximizing the stress response. But, all other things being equal, F_en effects are minimum at instantaneous changes. Previous work performed by the MRP to support 2005 ASME Code activities has investigated how F_en × Usage varies with ramp time and has concluded that F_en × Usage maximizes at a small but definitely non-zero ramp time [1]. The implications of non-zero transient ramp times are that difficulties arise in both specifying ahead of time and qualifying the component for appropriate ramp times and, at the same time, not creating a situation whereby plant operations are required to proceed at a specified pace to remain design compliant. Therefore, it is desirable to have the qualifying fatigue analyses cover all conceivable ramp times such that the operator neither has to: (a) be limited to a minimum pace, nor (b) confirm through observations that the pace is at least as fast as assumed in the design. This paper summarizes qualifying fatigue analyses that have been performed using piping methodologies to define bounding ramp times for a variety of piping geometry and material configurations. The intent of these analyses is to provide the component designer with a set of parametric tools that can be used to easily design components without the need for iterative fatigue analyses to determine the bounding conditions when F_en rules are considered. In addition, the tool developed to perform the parametric analyses is available for future use by the designer should more specific analyses be required.