Tube-to-Tubesheet Joints: Maximum Tensile Stress and Contact Pressure Due to Thermal Loading and Temperature Cycling

Abstract

Service reliability and durability of tubular heat exchangers and steam generators are much dependent on the proper response of the tube-to-tubesheet joints to the operating conditions. In this paper a 2-D axisymmetric finite element model is proposed and compared to a 3-D finite element solution for the purpose of predicting the temperature effect on the residual contact pressure and maximum tensile residual stresses of such joints. A parametric study using the finite element results shows that, although thermal loading and temperature cycling have a negligible effect on the maximum tensile residual stresses, the room-temperature initial residual contact pressure may be completely relieved following the initiation of plastic deformation in either the tube or the tubesheet during thermal loading. A comparison between the results of the proposed finite element model and those obtained from the literature shows good agreement. A simplified analytical approach, which may be used for the design of tube-to-tubesheet joints, is also proposed to predict the joint behavior at the operating conditions.