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U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Remaining life assessment of high-temperature components

Conference ·
OSTI ID:233970
 [1]
  1. Cortest Columbus Technologies, Columbus, OH (United States)

Materials used in components that operate at high temperatures, typically near or above 500 C, are subject to aging during normal use. Such aging often causes a significant degradation in materials properties. Creep, fatigue, thermal embrittlement, hydrogen attack, oxidation, carburization, and hot corrosion are important mechanisms of material damage in high-temperature service. The desire to extend the operating life of aging plants has lead the fossil power industry to develop generic procedures for assessing the remaining life of key components. The generic life assessment procedures are applicable to high-temperature components used in other industries as well. They are structured in three levels of detail and complexity to facilitate cost-effective evaluations. The key elements of the life assessment procedures are presented and reviewed in this paper. The vital role of modeling the initiation and propagation of material damage is highlighted. The importance of using the properties of service-aged materials is discussed and pointed out. Application of the life assessment procedures is discussed and illustrated by describing typical examples of remaining life evaluation. The examples include low-alloy steel steam pipes, heat-resistant alloy cast tubes in reformer furnaces, and refinery and chemical-plant pressure vessels.

OSTI ID:
233970
Report Number(s):
CONF-950908--; ISBN 0-87170-539-7
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English