Estimation of the V-Factor for Circumferentially Cracked Pipes Under Combined Thermal and Mechanical Stresses Using a Strain-Based Failure Assessment Diagram

This paper presents finite element solutions for elastic-plastic J for circumferentially cracked pipes under combined mechanical and thermal loads in terms of the V/Vo factor used within a strain-based failure assessment diagram. In this study, 3-dimensional finite element analyses are conducted to calculate the V-factor under combined mechanical and thermal load. It is found that estimation of V/Vo is sensitive to the method used for its evaluation. For larger thermal stresses, currently proposed estimation methods are overly conservative.Copyright © 2011 by ASME