A collapse stress analysis of a heat exchanger subjected to external pressure in a nuclear power plant

The collapse pressure of tubes is determined experimentally by Tschoepe and Maison for various materials with different geometries. The results are co mpared with those obtained by ASME Codes UG-31 and UG-28. A collapse pressu re is the pressure required for the incipient yielding stress of the tubes with and without ovality. This collapse pressure is compared with the exper imental results by Tschoepe and Maison. The present investigation is toward s finding the collapse pressure required to bring the entire wall of tubes into a state of plastic flow for the pipes, with ovality and without ovalit y. This collapse pressure is compared with the collapse pressure obtained t hrough experiments in the present investigation. The experimental results a re compared with the pressure obtained by FEM (finite element methods). The FEM results are then compared with results obtained through an approximate plastic analysis of the strain hardening material, SA312-TP304 stainless s teel. The structural integrity evaluation is performed for the heat exchang er used in an actual nuclear power plant by using various methods described in this paper. The results obtained by the various analyses and the FEM ar e discussed. Consequently, the paper is oriented towards an actual design p urpose of a heat exchanger in an industrial environment, rather than for th e purpose of an academic research project investigation.