Title : Failure analysis

NO

CHAPTER

Introduction

Problem description

Problem description

Laboratory investigations

Thermowell structural analysis

Results and discussion

Conclusions and recommendations

Title : Failure analysis of thermowell weldment cracking

LINKING PHRASE
The presence of a bluff body such as the thermowell in the
uid ow causes the vor- tex-shedding phenomenon, in which
the passing uid separates and creates wakes downstream of
the bluff.

In particular, FIV analysis behind cylindrical bluffs attracted

substantial attention due to its close relevance to various
industrial applications in power, oil and gas, and aerospace
industries.
This situation promotes resonance and the magnitude of lift
and drag forces is severely amplied,
which may lead to catastrophic failure

This design condition ensures that the lift force cyclic

frequency is well below the thermowell natural frequency.

Furthermore, it accounts only for the lift force Fl in

evaluating thermowell fatigue limit.
However, sub-sequent research shed light on the signicant
variation of Strouhal number over a wide range of Reynolds
number.
In fact, the value of Ns 0:22 is valid for steam pipelines
with NR in the range of 103105, while experimental
measurements showed that Ns
can be as high as 0.45 for NR
in the range of 107
Furthermore, a severe failure in a pressurized water reactor in
Monju, Japan was driven by thermowell high-cycle fatigue
damage due to in-line cyclic drag forces
Fig. 1 illustrates the assembly details of the failed thermowell,
which was used in a 3200 diameter, 29.5 mm thick pipeline in
a natural gas processing plant.
Table 1 presents the design and operational details of the
pipeline.
Fig. 2(a and b) illustrates the failed assembly and a zoomed
view of the cracked weld neck, respectively.
Furthermore, the cracked weldment passed routine visual
inspection approximately 12 months prior to the incident.

Furthermore, while the updated standard [13] issued in 2010

is not retroactive, it is prudent to consider the implications
of the more stringent acceptance criteria on the results based
on 1974 version of the standard.
Chemical analysis of support pipe material has shown
compliance with relevant material standard . Similarly, hardness measurement and microstructural analysis of base metal,
weld material and HAZ are in agreement with applicable
welding standards.
Fig. 3 illustrates two macro-etched cross sections of the pipe-toange weldment.
Fig. 3(a) indicates a one-pass llet weld with a weld leg length
of 45 mm on both ange and pipe sides.
Furthermore, two cracks are observed in this gure; a side
wall crack at ange side (crack A) and a weld throat crack
(crack B).
Furthermore, the microstructure of the pipe, ange, and the
weld is shown in Fig. 5.
Nevertheless, the resulting maximum stress location due to
each of these forces is spaced by an angle 90 around the
weldment circumference.
Hence, the resultant peak stress is attained every two cycles
and its position lies between drag and lift directions and
depends on the relative magnitude of acting forces.
Both modal analysis and forced excitation dynamic stress
analysis of thermowell assembly were conducted using nite
element analysis (FEA).
Furthermore, due to the vast difference in stiffness between
the main pipe and the thermowell assembly, it was feasible to
rigidly x the end of the support pipe to the wall of the 3200
main pipe.
Furthermore, bending stress induced in the support pipe wall
by the dead weights was found to be much smaller than
pressure stresses.
Hence, the support pipe meets static strength requirements
against steady forces and internal pressure
This reduction in natural frequency can be explained by
considering the spring-mass analogy of a cantilever beam
having length L, mass per unit length m, elastic modulus E, and
second moment of area I.
Both the rst and second natural modes excite the thermowell
in a cantilever-like pattern

Accordingly, the introduction of the support pipe, which

increased the total unsupported assembly length outside the
main pipe, would reduce the rst natural frequency.
Fig. 7 illustrates the variation of Strouhal frequency at various
operating conditions (maximum allowable working pres- sure
(MAWP) and ow rate) as well as the safe operating frequency
limits according to PTC 19.3-1974 [8].
Meanwhile, if the safe operational limit is established on the
basis of the natural frequency for the stand-alone thermowell,
the operation will be safe up to a ow rate of 1130 MMSCFD at
the same operating pressure.
This can be explained by reduction in gas density with reduced
pressure, which implies increased ow velocity to maintain
constant mass ow rate.
In contrast, the pipeline operation is safe when it is operated
at MAWP for the all ow rates under consideration.
Hence, it is anticipated that the proximity to the natural
frequency would magnify cyclic stress magnitudes due to lift
force.
Therefore, dynamic stress analysis of the thermowell assembly
was conducted using FEA.
Accordingly, drag forces are not expected to play a
signicant role in the development of the crack.
Accordingly, crack life can be assumed to consist mainly of
critical crack growth regime.
In particular, the effect of observed high R-ratio on crack life
can be accounted for using Walker equation
This study presented detailed failure analysis of a thermowell
assembly used for temperature measurements in a natural gas
plant.
These features represent a potential crack initiation site in
the same region that witnessed the actual weld cracking.
Furthermore, lack of fusion at sidewalls of pipe and the ange
were observed
Furthermore, a shorter support pipe was used in place of the
current one, effec- tively increasing the lowest natural
frequency for the installed thermowell to 101.1 Hz instead of the
original 97.5 Hz value.

l weldment cracking

TENSES

REPORTING VERB

Simple present tense

Simple Past tense

Simple present tense

Simple present tense

Simple present tense

Simple present tense

Simple Past tense

showed

Simple Past tense

Simple present tense

illustrates

Simple present tense

presents

Simple present tense

illustrates

simple past tense

Simple present tense

Present Perfect Tense

has shown

Simple present tense

illustrates

Simple present tense

indicates

passive voice

are observed

passive voice

is shown

Simple present tense

Simple present tense

passive voice

simple present tense

Simple Past tense

Simple present tense

passive voice

be explained

Simple present tense

Simple Past tense

Simple present tense

illustrates

Simple present tense

passive voice

be explained

passive voice

Simple present tense

passive voice

passive voice

passive voice

be assumed

passive voice

Simple Past tense

presented

Simple present tense

passive voice

passive voice

ANGGOTA KELOMPOK 1 :

Fandrio Permata (1110912056)

Andre Yulanda Miswar (1110912049)