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Fatigue Assessment of **

Weld Joints Using ANSYS,


Verity & FE-Safe
Zhichao Wang
Aditya Sakhalkar
5/8/2007

Part I: Key Points on Equivalent SS Method


Part II: Example Application
** Verity is a weld fatigue assessment software
developed by Battelle based on
Structural
Stress & Fracture Mechanics theory proposed
by Dr. Dong et al, Battelle

Part I: Key Points on SS & Weld Assessments


Zhichao Wang
Sr. Lead Engineer
Emerson Climate Technology Inc.

Background

Why The Battelles Structure Stress Is Not Sensitive To FE Mesh


Size?

How Could Multiple Joint S~N Curves Be Reduced to A Single S~N


Curve, the Master S~N Curve?

Example Application (Part ii, Aditya)

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Background

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Fatigue Assessment Welded Structures

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Fatigue Assessment Welded Structures


(i). Nominal Stress Method (BS,IIW)
The nominal stress range is used to develop the S~N curves using
samples with actual weld joint geometry. The life curves refer to
particular weld details, there is no need for the user to attempt to quantify
the local stress concentration effect of the weld detail itself.

(ii). Hotspot Stress Approach (structural stress, geometric stress,


BS, IIW, CEN,DNV)
This procedure uses hot-spot stress range as a parameter. The SN
curves are obtained from tests of actual welded joints based on the hotspot stress range rather than the nominal stress range.

(iii). Local Notch Stress Method (ASME, BS, IIW).


The notch stress approach attempts to include all sources of stress
concentration in the stress used with the design SN curve. Thus a single
SN curve may be sufficient for a given type of material. The problem is
that the local geometry of the toe or root of a weld is highly variable. It
may be hard to achieve consistent results.

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Fatigue Assessment Welded Structures

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Structural Stress & Mesh Sensitivity

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Why Structure Stress


Is Not Sensitive To FE Mesh?
(a)

(b)

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Master S~N Curve


Weld Joint Categorization

Categorization of Weld Joints (BS 7608)

Weld Joints (IIW)

Most codes divide weld joints into different types


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Multiple S~N Curves Due to Weld Joint Categorization


Example Design S~N curves for
welded joints: (a) Steel weld joint S~N
curves (BS 7608); (b) Weld joint type
and
S~N
curves
(IIW
recommendations); (c) Aluminum weld
joint
S~N
curves
(IIW
recommendations)
(a)

(b)

Multiple S~N curves provide flexibility


for the selection of life curves and
increase difficulty to select the proper
one due to the variation of actual
joints
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(c)

How Could multiple joint S~N curves be


merged into one - Master S~N curve?

Nominal Stress Method (BS)

Weld Joints (IIW)

Hot Spot Stress Method (IIW)

Equivalent SS Method

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Small Crack Propagation Behavior

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A Unified Stress Intensity Factor (SIF) Formulation

t1/t=0.1

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A Unified Stress Intensity Factor

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A Unified Stress Intensity Factor

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SIF Magnification Factor Mkn

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Mkn for 1350 V Notch Specimen

a/t

a/t

Conclusions:
Mkn approaches unity as crack size a/t approaches 0.1 i.e., a/t=0.1 (short
crack correction factor) Thus a/t=0.1 can be taken as a characteristic
parameter beyond which the notch effect is negligible
The difference between edge crack and elliptical crack solutions are not
significant.

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Modified Paris Law

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Master S~N Curve

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Master S~N Curve

Nominal Stress Method

Weld Joints (IIW)

Hot Spot Stress Method

Equivalent SS Method

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Summary
The Structural Stress Method developed at Battelle is
mesh insensitive that removes the uncertainty in the
calculation of structural stress for weld joint fatigue
assessment

The nature of weld joint fatigue is considered through the

introduction of Equivalent Structural Stress based on


fracture mechanics, which enable most fatigue curves of
weld joints merged into a narrow band, the Master S~N
curve. Thus one S~N curve can be used for majority of
weld joints

Note: I believe that the weld joints have to be stress


concentration dominant to achieve consistent
results with test data.

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References
[1]. BS PD 5500: , BSI Standards, London, 2000.
[2]. European Standard for Unfired Pressure Vessels, EN 13445: 2002, BS EN 13445:2002, BSI, London, 2002
[3]. ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code, Section VIII, Rules for construction of pressure vessels, Division 2Alternative rules, ASME, 2003.
[4]. Carl E. Jaske, FSRF for WPVP, Journal of Pressure Vessel Technology, AUGUST 2000, Vol. 122, 297-304
[5]. S.J.Maddox, Review of fatigue assessment procedures, Int. J. of Fatigue, Vol. 25, 12, 2003, 1359-1378.
[6]. Maddox S J: 'Fatigue aspects of pressure vessel design, Spence J and Tooth A S, E & F N Spon, London, 1994.
[7]. Harrison J D and Maddox S J: 'A critical examination of rules for the design of pressure vessels subject to fatigue
loading' in Proc. 4th Int. Conf. on 'Pressure Vessel Technology', Mech E, London, 1980.
[8]. Taylor N (Ed): 'Current practices for design against fatigue in pressure equipment', EPERC Bulletin No.6, European
Commission, NL-1755ZG, Petten, The Netherlands, 2001.
[9]. Dong, P., 2005, A Robust Structural Stress Method for Fatigue Analysis of Offshore/Marine Structures, Journal of
Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering , Vol. 127, pp. 68-74.
[10]. Dong, P., 2001, A Structural Stress Definition and Numerical Implementation for Fatigue Evaluation of Welded
Joints, Int. J. Fatigue, 23/10, pp. 865876.
[11]. Dong, P., Hong, J. K, Osage, D., and Prager, M., Assessment of ASMEs FSRF Rules for Pipe and Vessel Welds
Using A New Structural Stress Method, Welding In the World, Vol. 47, No. 1/2, 2003, pp. 3143.
[12] Dong, P., Hong, J. K., Osage, D., Prager, M., 2002, Master S-N Curve Method for Fatigue Evaluation of Welded
Components, WRC Bulletin, No. 474, August.
[13]. Lankford, J. , Fatigue of Eng Mater and Structures 5 (1982), pp233-248
[14]. R. Craig McClung, et al, Behavior of Small Fatigue Cracks, ASME, Vol. 19, Fatigue & Fracture, P153
[15]. Fricke W., 2001, Recommended Hot-Spot Analysis Procedure for Structural Details of FPSOs and Ships Based on
Round-Robin FE Analysis, ISOPE Proceedings, Stavanger, Norway, June.

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Part II: Example Application


Aditya Sakhalkar
Sr. Applied Mechanics Engineer
Emerson Climate Technology Inc.

Background
ANSYS, Verity, Fe-Safe Weld Assessment Procedure
ANSYS Preprocessing
Verity Analysis
Fe-Safe Analysis
ANSYS Results
Comparison of Analysis Results with the Test Results
Conclusions

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Background
Resistance welded suction fitting
Three failures in the suction fitting weld
during reliability testing
Crack initiated at the weld toe (9 o clock)
and propagated through the shell.
Failure due to reverse bending fatigue.

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ANSYS, Verity, Fe-Safe Weld Analysis Procedure


Ansys Preprocessing
- Meshing per Verity requirements
- Linear material properties
- Apply load

Calibration
Quantify loading
relative to the test
for FEA

- Solution

Verity, Fe-Safe Weld analysis


Verity Analysis (Eq. Structural Stress
calculations along the weld line)
- Fe-Safe analysis (Weld life calculations
using Master S-N curve)

Reliability Testing
Ansys Post processing
Verity result validation
and comparison

- Import .rst file


- Post processing

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Ansys Preprocessing- FE Model


Mesh Requirements
Shell Elements:
3D mid-surface element with no throughthickness dimension
Solid Element:
Rectangular faces required along the throughthickness cut from the weld line
Regular mesh along the through thickness cut
from weld line
Recommended elements: Hexahedral (brick) and
Pentahedral (wedge)
Tetrahedral elements can be used. Requires
special handling.

Suction Fitting

Shell

Weld Line

Element Type: Solid 186

Top & Bottom


fixed
Symmetry BC
On sides

Hex elements along weld line

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Linear material properties


(E = 29,000 Ksi, = 0.29)

ANSYS Results

Maximum Stress

Equivalent Stress

eq

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Verity Procedures

Structural Stresses calculated along the


weld line at each node
Fe-Safe builds a connectivity table and
maps the stresses to elemental stresses.
These stresses are inserted into the
stress matrix to be used for fatigue
evaluation

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Fe-Safe Analysis Weld life predictions


using Master SN Curve

Fully reverse loading defined


Fe-Safe calculates weld fatigue life
based on the Battelles Master SN
curve
The weld life (log N) data at each
node is written in the ANSYS .rst
format

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ANSYS Post processing Weld Life Results

Minimum life at element # 4436, node # 4212

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Comparison of Verity Predictions


with Reliability Test Results

Conservative life estimate!


Predicted Failure Location correlated well with the test failures!!

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Conclusions

ANSYS could be used for the fatigue assessment of welded


joints in conjunction with Verity & Fe-Safe

Verity provides conservative estimate of the weld life

Good correlation with the predicted and test failure locations

Verity & Fe-Safe provides a excellent weld design tool in


conjunction with ANSYS

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