One-way Fluid Structure Interaction modelling methodology for boiler tube fatigue failure

• A modelling methodology developed for thermal fatigue failures on boiler tubes.
• Modelling tools is effectively coupled for one-way Fluid Structure Interaction.
• Fluid Structure Interaction between 1D flow and 3D structural FEA environments.
• Experimental thermocouple data is used for transient model calibration.
• Solution implementation shows a reduction in fatigue loading by up to 50%.

A modelling methodology developed for dealing with fatigue failures on large boiler tube assemblies, as used by power generation industries, is described. Boiler tube fatigue failures are resultant to a coupled combination of fluid flow and heat transfer mechanisms, inducing thermal expansion leading to fatigue failure. A combination of modelling tools is effectively combined for one-way Fluid Structure Interaction, solving for and extracting stress results efficiently. A one dimensional fluid solver is used to approximate and model the thermal flow components. The study case considered implemented the developed methodology on a quarter boiler hopper section made up of 3022 tube and membrane structure with a collective length of 4787 m. Operating conditions are iteratively adjusted in the one dimensional pipe flow model until a correlation is formed with instrumented data. This validated model enables further use for various postulated plant conditions and operational sequences through transient start-up conditions. The boiler tube temperatures obtained from the one dimensional model are transferred and used as boundary conditions in a full three dimensional finite element analysis where deformations are solved for and stress results obtained due to thermal expansion within the boiler tube walls and the adjacent support structure. The model is used for redesign of sections of the boiler to reduce stress in those areas and subsequently reduce fatigue failures.