Creep Crack Growth Predictions in 316H Steel Over a Wide Range of Stresses and Temperatures

Abstract

The prediction of the creep crack growth (CCG) behaviour in engineering materials is of great importance in the life assessment of power plant components. The conventional technique to predict CCG is to employ uniaxial creep properties and appropriate damage models in finite element (FE) simulations or analytical CCG prediction models. Uniaxial creep trends for Type 316H SS have been recently estimated for a wide range of stresses and temperatures in [1] and FE CCG predictions have been made at 550 °C and validated through comparison with the experimental data. In this paper, FE CCG predictions using the developed uniaxial creep trends for a wide range of stresses and temperatures are presented and the results are compared with the predicted CCG trend at 550 °C and also with the analytical constant creep ductility NSW CCG prediction models. The results from FE predictions are discussed in terms of the temperature effects on the creep deformation and crack growth behaviour of components operating at elevated temperatures.