Effects of primary and secondary creep formulations on API 579-1 residual life evaluation

A sound material constitutive equation is crucial for the residual life evaluation of pressure components operating in the creep range. In a previous work [1], the authors investigated how a secondary creep formulation encompassing both the dis-locational and the diffusional range influences the assessment of damage according to API 579-1 [2] within the whole component stress range. In the present paper the work has been extended in order to include the effects of primary creep in the constitutive equation for the ASTM A335 P22 low-alloy steel used for the manufacturing of the HRSG header whose welded details were previously investigated. The creep damage was first calculated according to API 579-1 Section 10 via inelastic, time-dependent FEA and the Larson-Miller approach (LMP) with code-defined, minimum time-to-rupture data. This led to a first reckoning of the primary creep impact in terms of API 579-1 residual life for the components under evaluation. The API 579-1 time-to-rupture was then assessed with a detailed stress analysis implementing the Omega Method and its creep strain rate formulation. The obtained results were finally compared to those previously determined through the LMP procedure and the different creep correlations (secondary and primary+secondary).