Creep behavior of seam-welded reheat steam pipes in thermal fossil power plant: feedback analysis and life assessment methodology

A methodology is developed to evaluate a residual life of the oldest seam-welded reheat pipes. The first step consists of a design concept based using a weld parameter depending on welding process, in order to classify pipes by their creep life fraction. This part is in progress. The second step consists of a metallurgical approach to optimize life assessment of the most damaged pipes, by estimating a residual life before crack initiation in the intercritical zone of a pipe tempered weld. Creep tests on a simulated intercritical microstructure were subjected to different creep life fractions. Creep damage was identified as the creep cavity density evaluated by image analysis. Tests results have shown that creep damage appears in the intercritical microstructure in the very end of life (last 16 ± 2 % of creep life). These results warrant a residual life of at least 24000 hours for a 150000 hours aged pipe under operating conditions, if no creep damage was found. Extra examinations have been performed on th...