ASME VIII-2 Permissible Cycle Life

File: PVE-5522&6160, Last Updated: Sept.7, 2012, By: LRB/CBM/MAH

Background:
The life of a vessel under cyclic service is related to the intensity of the stress and the number of cycles it is exposed to. The fatigue life curves
used under ASME VIII-2 to calculate the permitted cycle life of a vessel are based on a large factor of safety compared with actual cycle life
curves. We are using VIII-2 fatigue methods to calculate an allowable number of operating cycles with a factor of safety, not to predict the
cycle life of the vessel which normally will be larger. [1,2]
The equations found in ASME code books rarely provide real stresses that can be used to compute permissible cycle life. Equations for items
such as Heads [3], Flanges, nozzles and others are design rules which cannot predict real stresses in any particular location of a vessel. Large
factors of safety make their use acceptable. To get stress values for cycle life calculations, it is usually required to run a Finite Element Analysis
(FEA).
Areas in a FEA either converge to a fixed value, or run away to infinity as the mesh size is reduced. This traces back to the work of Ingles and
stress concentration factors [5]. In theory any area with a sharp corner has stresses that rise to infinity. The FEA error plot is used to
determine which areas converge and which do not [4]. Typical areas that do not converge are: toes of nozzle welds; any transition in shell
thickness with sharp edges like a 3:1 taper; any sharp change in direction like shell to flat head or shell to flange connections; and areas under
bolt heads or other connectors. The reported stress in these areas is mesh size dependent. There is no mesh size possible that will give
accurate stress results[8]. Special methods must be used to determine the cycle life.

The Sample:
This cycle life sample shows two methods of determining the correct stress to use for areas that have not converged. Reading stresses from
converged areas of plots is also shown. ASME provides factors for modifying stresses to allow for surface finish quality and inspection levels.
These factors are multiplied by the stresses to produce the final stress for a location. The largest final stress is used to determine the
maximum number of permitted cycles for this sample vessel. For further information, please see Fatigue Life Sample.
 The simple vessel used for this sample cycle life report.

Converged and Non-converged Areas:

The error plot shows areas that are converged and not converged. The mesh has been refined enough that the error has been reduced to less
than 5% in areas like the shell and head (Fig 4). Stress can be directly read from the model for these areas. The nozzle welds are
discontinuities that produce stress results that are mesh size dependent. These areas need special methods to read the stress results (Fig 5).

Converged Areas:
Two nozzle areas are fully converged allowing the stress to be directly read - see Fig-32 & 33. Other areas on the vessel cannot be directly
read.

Non-Converged areas 1 - Linearization:

The method of linearization for non-converged areas is covered in ASME VIII-2 section 5.5.3. It is shown in an easier to understand manner in
ASME PTB-3-2010 section 5.5.3 [6]. For this sample multiple areas are linearized to provide stresses for areas that are and are not converged.
For example Fig 29 shows a stress classification line taken through the toe of a weld to get a converged peak stress even though the toe is not
converged. To get a converged result, the mesh has to be refined enough that at least one element along the SCL has reach an error level less
than 5%. This typically takes 5 or more nodes along the line [7].

Some areas of the model use linearization even though the area has converged. See for example F-18 where a SCL line is used to read the
stresses in the fully converged knuckle area of the head. This also follows the methods shown in PTB-3-2010.

Non-Converged areas 2 - Extrapolation:

It is not always possible to get a good linearization line between the inside and outside surfaces of the vessel. For example purposes, location
#9 (Fig-32, 34) uses extrapolation along the shell up to the toe of a nozzle weld to determine the converged stress [1].

The error plot was checked - all nodes with over 5% error were excluded. The remaining nodal results were extrapolated back to the weld toe
to get the converged stress. (Note: stress linearization could also have been used for this location as a good SCL can be run from the inside to
outside surface and at least one element on the path has converged to <= 5% error).

Modifying the Measured Stresses - Kf:

The stresses measured by SCL or Extrapolation methods above are modified according to the surface finish and inspection level of the welded
connection. This is ASME factor Kf from table VIII-2 5.11 and 5.12. In this sample job Kf factors range from 1.0 for locations with no welds to
2.5 multiplier for full penetration welds with no volumetric inspection - see page 28 for example. The Kf factor is added on top of a 4.0x
surface finish and environment factor that is already built into the fatigue life curves [1].

Calculating the Permitted Cycle Life:

For each location, the measured stress is increased by the above Kf factor. The stress is reduced by a further factor of 2 because the fatigue
life curves are are made for alternating stresses and this pressure vessel's stresses do not alternate. The temperature correction results in Se -
the equivalent stress used to measure the permitted cycle life from ASME's charts.

Each vessel location has had its permissible cycle life calculated. The lowest governs the design for the whole vessel - in this case nozzle 8 at
40,573 permitted cycles - see page 3.

What Happened Here?

The largest conceptual block to overcome is that the ASME methods allow us to take average stresses through areas that are un-converged
(linearization) or adjacent areas leading up to the un-converged spot (extrapolation) to obtain an estimated stress and a derived permissible
cycle life. Why should this work? Two important reasons:
1. The materials used are ductile. Although in theory the stresses rise to infinity at a discontinuity, in practice once they reach
the yield point, the material moves and re-distributes the stresses. This happens during the hydro test. These methods will
not work for brittle materials like cast iron or glass where the designer must remove the sharp discontinuities.
 2. The permissible fatigue curves have a large factor of safety. No stress concentration factor was added to the
linearized/extrapolated stresses because the curves already have a shape factor of 2.5x [1,2]. However, the stresses were
increased depending on the surface condition/inspection level of the location even though a 4x surface factor was already
included[1]. Other factors are also included in the curves resulting in an overall 20x factor of safety. These ASME methods
are approximate but large safety methods make them practical.

To repeat - we are not calculating the expected cycle life of the pressure vessel using these methods; we are calculating a permissible
operating life with a large safety margin.

Laurence Brundrett, B. Sc. P. Eng.

Cameron Moore, B.A. Tech, EIT
Matt Hiskett, B.A. Tech, EIT
Aug 23, 2012, File PVE-5522

More Information:
[1] Fatigue Design of Process Equipment, ASME Plant Engineering & Maintenance Technical Chapter, March 12, 2009, Chris Hinnant, Paulin
Research Group, Houston, TX Presentation (pdf) See pages 20 and 37.

[2]PVEng - Origins of the ASME Fatigue Life Curves

[3]PVEng - Discontinuity Stresses in Flange and Dished heads

[4]PVEng - Using the Error Function Results for Areas at Discontinuities

[5] J.E. Gordon, The New Science of Strong Materials or Why You Don't Fall Through the Floor - Chapter 4 - Cracks and Dislocations
[6] PTB-3-2010 "ASME Section VIII - Division 2 Example Problem Manual" Page 5-32 to 5-38. This book is highly recommended as it provides
illustrated use of the rules provided in ASME VIII-2. ASME

[7] PVEng - in development, not released yet.

[8] PVEng - Mesh Refinement Using the Error Function Results for Areas Near Discontinuities.
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