SOME STUDIES ON EFFECT OF THERMAL GRADIENT DAMAGE ON MECHANICAL PROPERTIES OF PRESSURE VESSEL WELDS

Abstract

A pressure vessel is a closed container required to accommodate gases or liquids at a pressure considerably higher than the surrounding pressure. Pressure vessel is one of the most important components used extensively in various industries e.g. nuclear power industry, thermal power industry based on fossil fuels as well as liquid and gaseous fuels, cryogenics industry, oil refinery industry, etc. in most of the mentioned industries, fabricated pressure vessels are used. Pressure vessels used in various nuclear power industries are fabricated using suitable welding processes. It has been observed that the properties of weld zone differ significantly to that of base metal. Even the variation within the weld zone is very prominent. There is shortage of design-related infonnation regarding the behavior of various sub-zone of weld zone. The scope of this work is to study mechanical behavior of welds, which is fonned between one of the most extensively used carbon steel in the nuclear industry, subjected to thermal cycling. Temperature range, thermal cycling duration and number of cycles are variables involved