Development of stress intensification factors for fabricated tee branch connections
- Sharoden Engineering Consultants, Matthews, NC (United States)
The subject of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) stress intensification factors for pipe and piping components has been discussed in numerous publications over the past forty-three years. Although the failure of piping branch connections has been addressed in these publications, only in the past fifteen years has the analytical determination of these stress intensification factors (SIFs) gained in popularity (employing techniques such as the finite element method). The need to determine reasonable and appropriate stress intensification factors for a series of relatively small diameter pipes which form branch connections from relatively large diameter run pipes becomes quite apparent when the allowable stress approaches a pre-defined minimum. The SIFs for the fabricated tee branch connections, as defined in Appendix D of the ASME/ANSI B31.3 Code, are numerically the largest of any type of currently Code approved 90{degree} branch construction. Because the SIF acts as a multiplier (in only the simplest sense) against a nominally calculated stress, the real problem in many piping flexibility analyses is to minimize the SIFs at branch connections. Insuring that the SIF employed in the stress analysis is not overly conservative while adequately modeling the geometric configuration generally solves this problem. The finite element analysis (FEA) stress results and the derived SIFs for both in-plane and out-of-plane moment loadings on a series of fabricated tees are presented herein.
- OSTI ID:
- 124707
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-950740--; ISBN 0-7918-1332-0
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Effects of weld metal profile on the fatigue life of integrally reinforced weld-on fittings
Flexibility factors and stress indices for piping components with D/T ge 100 subjected to in-plane or out-of-plane moment