Stress Analysis and Creep Life Prediction of Hydrogen Reformer Furnace Tube
Stress Analysis and Creep Life Prediction of Hydrogen Reformer Furnace Tube
Stress Analysis and Creep Life Prediction of Hydrogen Reformer Furnace Tube
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Stress analysis and creep life prediction of hydrogen reformer furnace tube
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ABSTRACT: The hydrogen manufacturing converted furnace radiation pipe system is studied as the research object.
And the reformer tube has been studied the creep mechanical properties through the furnace tube creep curves under
different experimental conditions and experimental data. The stress creep constitutive equation of furnace tube is
obtained by the experimental data curve fitting and analysis results. Thermal stress calculation and high temperature
creep analysis of the pipe system of hydrogen production equipment were established by thermal elastic plastic
increment method. The finite element model of the structure space of the reformer was established by ANSYS
software, and the thermal stress and high temperature creep stress analysis were carried out. The calculation results of
thermal stress and the stress and deformation of each component after 100 thousand hours of creep were evaluated.
Based on the operating conditions of 6 years of service in the past, the calculation method of the remaining life of the
furnace tube is established. Its remaining life is 6.3 years. It provides a theoretical basis for the calculation of the
remaining life of the equipment, equipment operation and maintenance.
KEYWORDS: Hydrogen reforming furnace; Creep; Residual life; Stress analysis; Thermo-elastic plasticity.
INTRODUCTION
With oil resources dwindling and poor quality of heavy oil trend will become more apparent, Chinese petroleum
products continue to improve the quantity and quality requirements, the need to more large-scale hydrogen production
unit with suitable, currently about 70% hydrogen from the hydrogen reformer unit [1]. Because hydrogen reformer
tube entrance architecture with high temperatures, the high combustion air temperatures and high heat intensity, in the
work, thus leading reformer tube temperature creep effect occurs, then the occurrence of failure fracture [2]. Currently,
the reformer tube occurs temperature creep analysis and life prediction mainly in three aspects of the simulation
carried out with varying degrees of research materials from microscopic experiments, theoretical and numerical.
In the research experiment: Through observed the crystal phase structure characteristic features crack, proposed work
should pay attention to the furnace tube operating considerations and temperature limits [3-5]. On the theoretical
calculations and numerical simulation methods: the main through structure the tubes at a high temperature furnace tube
hoop stress calculations and strength evaluation [6, 7] and numerical simulation of local tubes structure, tubes stress
were local Further assessment calculations [8-11] creep stress and their remaining life. However, the above calculation
method, only the local tubes on creep properties were analyzed [12, 13], and did not consider the entire hydrogen
reformer tubes structure stress state, while, for the tube material in a number of maintenance, open parking after tube
remaining life caused by changing the operating status of not considered.
In this paper, based on the entire hydrogen reformer radiant section of tube system for the study, consider the stress
state of the structure of the entire tubes system, the establishment of spatial finite element model of the radiant section
tubes. And through the high-temperature creep experiments tubes materials, determine tubes materials under normal
operating conditions creep performance parameters of tubes materials for high temperature creep analysis, combined
with open parking structure tubes maintenance status, assessment tubes remaining life, provide a theoretical basis and
reference for the furnace tube life prediction of large-scale hydrogen reformer.
DOI: 10.7508/jmerd.2016.03.016
744
Stress analysis and creep life prediction of hydrogen reformer furnace tube
The first stage, in the initial stages of creep, strain rate decreases with time, this phase is generally in a relatively short
period of time accomplish.
The second stage, constant strain rate and strain rate at constant develop.
The third stage, the strain rate rapidly increased until failure of the material.
Since the third stage of creep experienced a very short time, the material will fail, usually begin destruction-related
(necking, damage), so for the creep analysis of engineering structures, the general choice of first and second creep
phase studies. The first stage of the creep strain rate is usually much larger than the secondary creep. Under constant
stress, under isothermal uniaxial test conditions, the strain rate is gradually decreased in the first stage, while in the
second phase is almost constant, and the first stage of creep time shorter than the second phase.
As the temperature changes, the material constants such as elastic modulus, Poisson's ratio, yield strength etc will
change. Creep deformation of the material c can be expressed as the function of temperature T, the stress time t:
c f (T , , t ) (1)
Creep strain rate is the function of stress , temperature T and time t, can be expressed as:
c f 1 f 2 T f 3 t
Simultaneously conditions for temperature deformation and creep deformation, after the material enters the yield state,
the total strain components can be decomposed into:
d { } d { } e d { } p d { } c d { } T
(2)
In the formula: right parameters are elasticity, plasticity, creep strain and temperature increments.
d { } T { } dT ( T T 0 ) d (3)
In the formula: { } is thermal expansion coefficient matrix, T is instantaneous temperature, T0 is initial temperature.
{ } e [ D ] 1 { } (4)
Incremental form
745
Stress analysis and creep life prediction of hydrogen reformer furnace tube
d [ D ]1 (5)
d { }e { }dT [ D ] 1 d { }
dT
For plastic materials, plastic strain increment associates with the yield surface, yield surface equation:
F H [ d p ]T 0 (6)
F
d { } p d d
p
{ }
p
{ } (7)
d c
, c , T , t dt
In the formula: d c is equivalent creep strain increment, c is equivalent creep strain, is equivalent stress.
Creep strain increment expressions are similar to the formula (7), can be expressed as:
3
d { } c d c dt s dt
{ } { } 2 (8)
In the formula: s is partial array stress.
Putting (3), (5), (7), (8) into equation (2), after finishing get the stress increment:
d D
1
d [ D ] d { } d { } p d T d c dT
dT
[ D ] d { } d p dt d { } 0
{ } { } (9)
In the formula:
d d [ D ]1
d { } 0 { } (T T0 ) { } dT
dT dT
T
Formula (9) is multiplied by , according to the incremental yield surface equation, get d p . Taking it into
formula (9), get thermal elastic-plastic incremental creep constitutive equation:
d Dep d d 0 d c d 0
(10)
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Stress analysis and creep life prediction of hydrogen reformer furnace tube
T
D D
D p T
D
p
(11)
D dT
T
d 0 T
D
p
(12)
Use the Finite Element Analysis Software ANSYS to Analyze the Creep
Finite element analysis of high temperature creep in Section 1.1.1 is based on thermal elastic-plastic incremental creep
constitutive equation, use T , , instead of dT, d , d , to linearize incremental constitutive
equations.
Balance equation:
D ep 0 c 0
(15)
Balance equation:
v (17)
v (18)
v (19)
cr ( 2 x y z )
t t t
cr
x (20)
et 2(1 )
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Stress analysis and creep life prediction of hydrogen reformer furnace tube
cr (2 y z x )
t t t
ycr (21)
et 2(1 )
cr 3 (23)
xycr xyt
et 2(1 )
Formula (20) ~ (22) is positive strain components, formula (23) is shear strain components.
By tube thermal elastic-plastic problems caused by high temperature creep, creep strain rate is a function of stress,
strain, temperature and time, the paper analyzes the high temperature creep stress analysis of hydrogen plant furnace
tube time strengthening creep model selection.
cr C1 C t C e C
2 3 4 T
(24)
In the formula: C1 C2 C3 C4 is creep constitutive equation coefficients, the need for high-temperature creep test tube,
by curve fitting the experimental data to determine.
Experimental Research of the Hydrogen Plant Furnace Tube Material Temperature Creep Mechanics
According to structural characteristics of hydrogen reformer tubes, considering the high temperature mechanical
properties and deformation under conditions of tube material, now select the reformer tube material 25Cr35NiNb,
developed high temperature mechanical test specimens, choose HYC-50 electronic Creep Testing Machine
Experimental study on mechanical properties under high temperature conditions of 919℃. Experimental apparatus are
shown in Figure 1. The high temperature furnace tube material creep curve is shown in Figure 2.
748
Stress analysis and creep life prediction of hydrogen reformer furnace tube
Using ANSYS program through curve fitting functions, according to the tube material temperature creep curve time to
strengthen the creep constitutive equation coefficients, C1 =5.793E-5, C2 =3.75, C3 =-0.88, C4 =1814.5, formula (25)
is fitting creep constitutive equation.
1814.5
c 5.793 105 3.75t 0.88e T (25)
According to stress analysis software theory and ANSYS libraries, the whole model is divided into 15905 three units
and 22426 nodes, the overall finite element model shown in Figure 4. Wherein the inlet manifold system, the tail tube,
tube, under the collecting duct system using tubeline unit, tail tube hanger beams using beam elements, variable force
spring hanger, the constant force spring hanger with spring unit.
10 × 104 Nm3/h hydrogen manufacturing conversion furnace radiant section tubes components of geometric
parameters and material parameters are shown in Table 1.
Which conversion furnace inlet piping segment operating temperature 630 ℃ , reformer tubes operating temperature
919℃, outlet piping operating temperature of 250℃, pressure piping work are 3 MPa.
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Stress analysis and creep life prediction of hydrogen reformer furnace tube
10×104 Nm3/h Hydrogen Reformer Tubes Stress Analysis of Thermal State Operating Conditions
According to numerical calculation model, obtained some data of 10×104 Nm3/h hydrogen reformer, under the
operating conditions of the thermal state. The overall equivalent stress are shown in Figure 5, the overall equivalent
displacement are shown in Figure 6, and the calculation results of components stress are shown in Table 2.
Seen from Figure 5, the overall equivalent stress distribution are in the range of 0-101 MPa, where the maximum
stress occurs on the connecting position between the upper tail tube and the reformer tube. Figure 6 shows that the
range of equivalent displacement for the overall model is 0-362.7 mm. From the data in Table 2, we can see that the
various stress of inlet and outlet tubes are less than the allowable stress of the material under the corresponding
temperature; the equivalent stress of the upper tail tube is 101 MPa, the maximum bending stress is 99 MPa, less than
1.5 times the allowable stress, therefore, under the operating conditions of the thermal state, the stress of the
components for tube system can satisfy meet the strength requirements.
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Stress analysis and creep life prediction of hydrogen reformer furnace tube
Stress/MPa
Allowable design Evaluation of the
Parts Equivalent Axial Bending Hoop stress/MPa stress intensity
stress stress stress Y/Z stress
Transfer Line 57 17 34/38 36 93 safety
Enterance gas collection
39 17 5/14 36 93 Safety
header tube
Enterance gas collection
61 14 47/26 30 93 safety
branch tube
The tail tube 101 8 99/32 15 148 safety
Reformer tube 25 10 6/3 25 121 safety
Enterance gas collection
63 33 7/0 68 150 safety
branch tube
Enterance gas collection
50 25 2/0 53 150 safety
header tube
In order to compare before and after creep, stress changes in the various components of the reformer, will not consider
the effect of creep tube consider all components of stress furnace tube creep effects meta-analysis of the results of
stress are summarized in Table 3.
Can be seen from the data in Table 3, before and after the creep, the equivalent stress of the oil transfer line, the inlet
manifold, and the pig tail tubes are increased slightly, the stress of reformer tubes reduced, and the equivalent stress of
the manifold for the hot wall and the cold wall unchanged.
After 100000 h under high temperature creep condition, equivalent stress distribution of reformer tubes are shown in
Figure 7, the axial deformation curve with the change of creep time for the top of the reformer tube are shown in
Figure 8.
As can be seen from Figures 7 and 8, with the increase of time of furnace tube axial creep deformation is gradually
increased, and the rapid increase in axial deformation of creep start time occurs, after about 14,000 hours, the tube
axial direction deformation essentially unchanged.
751
Stress analysis and creep life prediction of hydrogen reformer furnace tube
Table 3. 10×104 Nm3/h hydrogen reformer thermal state of the components before and after the stress creep data
sheets.
Stress/MPa Allowable
Evaluation of
Equivalent Axial stress Bending Hoop stress design
Parts the stress
Before After Before After Before After Before After stress
intensity
creep creep creep creep creep creep creep creep /MPa
Transfer Line 57 57 17 17 38 39 36 36 93 safety
Enterance gas
39 42 17 17 14 16 36 36 93 safety
collection header tube
Enterance gas
61 72 14 15 47 60 30 30 93 safety
collection branch tube
The tail tube 101 28 8 8 99 25 15 15 148 safety
Tube1 15 13 7 7 3 0 15 14 23 (The safety
allowable
Reformer
Tube2 15 15 6 6 4 0 15 15 rupture safety
furnace
stress)
tube
Adapter
26 25 11 11 6 0 25 25 121 safety
tube
Enterance gas
63 63 33 33 7 3 68 68 150 safety
collection branch
Enterance gas
50 50 25 25 2 2 53 53 150 safety
collection header
752
Stress analysis and creep life prediction of hydrogen reformer furnace tube
HYDROGEN PLANT FURNACE TUBE STRUCTURE TO PREDICT THE REMAINING LIFE OF THE HIGH
TEMPERATURE CREEP
According to has been occur refinery maintenance process can know, the paper 10 × 104 Nm3/h hydrogen reformer
tube structure put into use later, hydrogen sulfide materials occur during device repeatedly exceeded, power outages
and other accidents, and frequently open parking, so often in the furnace tube non-normal operation conditions, even
greater damage to the tube due to creep deformation caused by failure of the furnace tube, and therefore need to
determine the extent of the damage and the remaining life of the furnace tube.
Larson-Miller (LM) method, also known as parametric method, the basic idea of the method by increasing the test
temperature, the material bound to change the internal structure, it is possible with higher temperatures and shorter
time data acquired to estimate the long-serving state at lower temperatures, the L-M parameter represents the formula:
P T (C lg t ) (26)
By hydrogen reformer tubes work over the past 6 years of service time to calculate, will be divided into four different
operating cycles, the past operating conditions of furnace tube as shown in Table 4.
Minimum thickness
Operation Time of Operating pressure Metal tube shell /mm
cycle duration /a /MPa temperature /℃ Early The end of
operation operation
1 1.2 2.99 919 14.3 14.1
2 2.3 3.01 920 14.1 13.7
3 0.9 3.03 922 13.7 13.6
4 1.6 3.02 921 13.6 13.3
Note:”a” is the sign of “year” in the International System of Units.
Different lengths of time for each cycle of operation, the operating cycle length selected depends on the pressure and
temperature changes, and the operating pressure of each cycle, the metal temperature is assumed to be constant, its
values chosen are representative of typical values. Tube thickness estimation process assumes an outer diameter
753
Stress analysis and creep life prediction of hydrogen reformer furnace tube
remains unchanged.
Reference SH/T3037-2002, which is Refinery Furnace wall thickness calculation, standard mechanical properties and
high temperature creep test data, the furnace tube (25Cr35NiNb) in the work service 100000h average minimum
breaking strength or Larson-Miller parameters curve, as shown in Figure 9.
Reference SH/T3037-2002 "Refinery Furnace wall thickness calculation" standard mechanical properties and high
temperature creep test data, combined with tube material (25Cr35NiNb) Larson - Miller parameter curves. Calculated
according to the furnace tube metal temperature Td and design rupture life tDL, formula (26) was:
P (Td 273)(C LM lg t DL ) 10 3
(27)
The minimum or average Larson-Miller is valued by the minimum or the average breaking strength Larsen-Miller
parameters used average stress to determine, the average stress creep stress by 2.3 tube each time period calculation
results, the average stress and intensity obtained are shown in Table 5, where the safety factor of 1.5. Using
Larson-Miller value and each cycle of tube metal temperature, the minimum or average breaking time can be
calculated separately through Larson-Miller parameter equation.
Obtain
lg t DL 4.92
t DL 8 . 4 10 4 h 9 . 6 a
Each period of the exhaustion of the life cycle of each fraction ηi can be calculated for, i represents the operation
cycle, end of the life cycle of the fraction ηi may be the operation period of time divided by the corresponding
rupture life derived. Thus the minimum-rupture life of the above calculations, the lifetime score is obtained first
operation cycle.
Similarly, the corresponding fracture time and the life fraction were calculated according to the average intensity, and
then adopted the same method to calculate corresponding minimum or average fracture time and life fraction of each
operating cycle, the calculation results are shown in Table 5.
Table 5. Break time for each operating cycle and life scores.
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Stress analysis and creep life prediction of hydrogen reformer furnace tube
Therefore, the remaining life of the furnace tube if scores by calculating a minimum breaking strength of 0.51, if the
average breaking strength was calculated as 0.78. In actual industrial production, the remaining life of tubes systems
shall be calculated minimum breaking strength is calculated, the remaining life of 6.3 years.
CONCLUSIONS
(1) Through experimental study the mechanical properties of high-temperature creep of tube material obtained creep
curves and experimental data tubes under high temperature conditions, and curve fitting experimental data to obtain
creep constitutive equation. Provide reliable mechanical performance parameters for the creep stress analysis and
strength evaluation.
(2) According to the structural characteristics of 10 × 104Nm3/h hydrogen plant tubes and geometric parameters,
establishment of spatial finite element model, calculated deformation and stress calculations hot operating conditions
of the components, by evaluating the strength of the various components stresses were within the allowable stress
range, to meet the strength requirements.
(3) The use of fitting creep constitutive equation, the structure of the high-temperature furnace tube creep stress
analysis, creep stress and creep deformation of the components after the hydrogen plant and make a strength
evaluation are to meet safety and operational requirements.
(4) According to the service has been working for six years in different hydrogen furnace tube creep cycle operating
conditions and tube material corresponding Larson-Miller curve parameters formula, calculate the remaining life of
the tube came out different cycle scores, and then get the remaining life of the furnace tube was 6.3 years.
CONFLICT OF INTEREST
This article content has no conflict of interest.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The authors are grateful to the support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 51604080),
funding from China Petroleum (No. 309053), and the youth fund of Northeast Petroleum University (No.
NEPUQN2015-1-09).
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