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ChemicalReactorVessel

Solution
ThequestionssofarinthistutorialhavedealtwithsimpleapplicationsofLinearElasticFractureMechanics(LEFM).Themore
usualdesigncaseinvolveselasticplasticfractureorsocalledYieldingFractureMechanics(YFM),astoughductilealloysareoften
operatedatelevatedtemperatures.Fractureassessment,therefore,generallyinvolvesatwoparameterapproachwherethe
potentialforfastfractureandyielddominatedfracture(netsectionyield)areassessedindependently(seetheorycard).Itusually
alsoinvolvesmoregenerallyapplicablefractureparameterslikethecracktipopeningdisplacement(CTOD,COD)oftheJintegral
whichcancopewithlocalisedplasticity.
ThisproblemillustratesthetypeofapplicationwhereLEFMisnotreallysuitable,althoughitspredictionsmaystillbeconservative,
andhencequiteuseful.
Itshouldtakearound15minutestoworkthrough.
Aparticularchemicalprocessingplantconsistsofanumberofsimilarreactorswhichoperateattemperaturesrangingfrom70Cto
350C.Itisdesiredtouseasinglealloytomanufactureallthereactorvessels.Thefracturetoughnessandyieldstrengthofthis
alloyvarywithtemperatureasshownbelow:
KC=(63+T/10)MPamovertherangeoftemperature100Cto+400C
TemperatureC

100

100

200

300

400

YieldStrengthMPa

550

450

412

400

362

300

Thevesselshaveawallthicknessof15mmandaretobedesignedonthebasisof'leakbeforebreak'.Thestressintensityfactor
canbecalculatedusing:

a)Basedonmaterialperformance,ratherthanoperatingconditions,graphicallydeterminethetemperatureatwhichyield
becomesmorelikelythanfracture,i.e.thedesigncriterionchangesfromfracturetoyieldcontrol.
b)IstheuseofLEFMvalidupthistemperature?Ifnot,determinetherangeofoperatingtemperaturesoverwhichuseofYFM
wouldbepreferable.
Youmayassumeplanestressconditionsinthevesselwallandcantaketheplasticzonesizeasbeing:

ScientificCalculator|RPNCalculator|Theory
Answer:Inthissimplisticanalysis,thedesignisfracturedominateduptoaround221C.YFMshouldbeusedforthisdesignover
thecompleteoperatingrangeinfact,aYFMtwoparameterapproachshouldbeadopted.

a)Thispartofthequestionisverystraightforward,asitsimplyentailsplottingyieldstrengthandfracturestressasfunctionsof
temperature.Theproblemcanbesolvedanalytically,butgraphicalpresentationisusefultopractisingengineers.Thevariationin
fracturetoughnessislinear,soweonlyneedthetwoendpointvalues(KCat70Cand350C)tocalculatethefracturestressfrom
theKequationandplottheline.Becausethedesigncriterionisleakbeforebreak,wecanassumethatthecriticalcracksizeat
fracturewillbegivenbythewallthicknessofthevessel,i.e.15mm(rememberthatthevesselmusttolerateacrackwith2a=2t).
Thecalculationthengivesvaluesoffracturestressof258MPaat70C,and451MPaat350C,e.g.:

Theplotisshownbelowandtheintersectionpointisseentobeatabout221C.Simplistically,fractureismorelikelyat
temperaturesbelowthispointandyieldismorelikelyaboveit.Theassumptionofplanestressiscriticaltothisinterpretation,asa
biaxialstressstatedoesnotleadtoyieldpointelevation.However,thereremainsthequestionofwhethercracktipplasticzone
sizesaresmallenoughtouseLEFM.Exploringthisaspectisthepurposeoftheseocndpartofthequestion.

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ChemicalReactorVessel

b)Forthisalloy,fracturetoughnessisincreasingwithtemperatureandyieldstrengthisdecreasing.Examinationofthecracktip
plasticzoneequationshowsthatbothoftheseeffectswillincreaseplasticzonesizeasoperatingtemperatureincreases.Consider
thecaseat220CKC=85MPamandtheyieldstrength=395MPa,hence:

Thisisthesameasthewallthickness,whichcertainlymeansthatplanestressconditionsexist,butisalsothesameasthecrack
length.YFMwouldprovideamorereliableassessmentoffracture.
ToseeifLEFMisapplicableoveranypartoftheoperatingtemperaturerange,wecancheckthesituationat100ChereKC=53
MPamandtheyieldstrength=550MPa,hence:

Thisisaround1/5ofthewallthicknessandLEFMmaybevalid.However,thebestsolutiontothisproblemwouldbetouseYFM
andthetwoparameterFailureAssessmentDiagram(FAD)approachtocovertheconjointpossibilityofyieldingandfracture.

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