Service Life Estimation for a Reformer Tube against Creep Dominated Failure

Murat Baydogan; Eyup Sabri Kayali; Huseyin Cimenoglu

doi:10.3139/120.110296

Article

Service Life Estimation for a Reformer Tube against Creep Dominated Failure

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Published/Copyright: May 26, 2013

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From the journal Materials Testing Volume 54 Issue 1

Abstract

Remaining service life of a petrochemical plant reformer tube, which has been exposed to water vapour at 540° C for 22 years under an internal pressure of 88 bar, was analysed via the Larson-Miller approach. Samples machined from the exposed and the original tubes were subjected to stress rupture tests at various stress levels and temperatures to determine the variation of the Larson-Miller parameter with the applied stress. At a service temperature of 540° C, the remaining service life decreased with increasing applied stress. For the stress of 42 MPa, which corresponded to the hoop stress generated on the tube during service, it was estimated that the tube has completed about 50 % of its actual service life.

Kurzfassung

Die verbleibende Betriebsdauer eines Reformerrohres einer petrochemischen Fabrik, das 22 Jahre lang 540° C heißem Wasserdampf bei einem Innendruck von 88 bar ausgesetzt war, ist nach dem Larson-Miller-Ansatz analysiert worden. Hierzu sind Proben aus den Betriebsrohren und den Originalrohren herausgearbeitet und Zeitstandversuchen bei verschiedenen Kombinationen von Spannung und Temperatur unterzogen worden, um die Variation des Larson-Miller-Parameters in Bezug auf die Spannung darstellen zu können. Bei einer Betriebstemperatur von 540° C verringert sich die Restlebensdauer mit der ansteigender Spannung. Für eine Spannung von 42 MPa, die der Umfangsspannung des Rohres während des Betriebes entspricht, konnte abgeschätzt werden, dass das Rohr etwa 50 % der wirklichen Lebensdauer erreicht hat.

Dr. Baydogan, born in 1972, studied Metallurgical Engineering in his BSc and received his MSc and PhD degrees in Materials Science and Engineering from the Istanbul Technical University in 1996 and 2003. He is continuing his professional career as associated professor in the Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering in Istanbul Technical University. His research interests include mechanical behaviour of materials and micro arc oxidation of light metals.

Dr. Kayali was born in 1947. He is full professor at the Istanbul Technical University, Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering. He received his BSc from the Istanbul Technical University in 1969, and his MSc and PhD degrees from Stanford University Materials Science and Engineering in 1973 and 1976, respectively. His research interests include creep, superplasticity, and fatigue of engineering materials.

Dr. Cimenoglu was born in 1959. He is currently working as full professor at the Istanbul Technical University, Department of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering. He graduated from Yildiz Technical University in 1981 as Mechanical Engineer and received his MSc. and PhD. degrees in Materials Science from the Istanbul Technical University in 1984 and 1989, respectively. His research interests include mechanical behaviour of materials and surface modification of titanium based biomaterials.

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Published Online: 2013-05-26

Published in Print: 2012-01-01

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https://doi.org/10.3139/120.110296