Papers by Author: Ed J. Kingston

Abstract: The main objective of the present study is to validate a simple over-coring deep-hole drilling (oDHD) residual stress measurement technique by utilising finite element simulations of the technique. A number of three dimensional (3D) finite element analyses (FEA) were carried out to explore the influence of material removal and the cutting sequence during the deep-hole drilling (DHD) residual stress measurement process on the initial residual stress field. Two models were considered in the study. First, the residual stress field predicted in a rapid spray water quenched solid cylinder was used as the initial stress field for the DHD FE model. The DHD reconstructed residual stresses were compared with the initial FE predicted stresses. Different cutting sequences and different dimensions were systematically simulated before arriving at an optimum solution for the oDHD technique. The oDHD technique significantly improved the spatial resolution and was applied in a second model consisting of a 40mm thick butt-welded pipe. The DHD reconstructed residual stresses compared very well with the initial FE predicted weld residual stress thereby validating the oDHD technique.

Abstract: Frequent failures of the pressuriser heater tubes used in Pressurised Water Reactors (PWRs) have been found. Axial cracks initiating from the tube outer diameter have been detected in some tubes as well as the resulting electrical problems. Replacement of the heater tubes requires an undesirably prolonged plant shutdown. In order to better understand these failures a series of residual stress measurements were carried out to obtain the near surface and through-thickness residual stress profiles in a stainless steel pressuriser heater tube. Three different residual stress measurement techniques were employed namely, Deep-Hole Drilling (DHD), Incremental Centre Hole Drilling (ICHD) and Sachs’ Boring (SB) to measure the through thickness residual stress distribution in the heater tubes. Results showed that the hoop stresses measured using all three techniques were predominantly tensile at all locations, while the axial stresses were found to be tensile at the surface and both tensile and compressive as they reduce to small magnitudes within the tube. The magnitude of the in-plane shear stresses was small at all measurement depths at all locations. The various measurement methods were found to complement each other well. All the measurements revealed a characteristic profile for the through-thickness residual stress distribution.

Abstract: Residual stress measurement techniques using mechanical strain relaxation depend on a number of physical quantities and are therefore sensitive to errors associated with the measured data. The resulting stress uncertainties can easily become significant and compromise the usefulness of the results or lead to misinterpretation of the behaviour of the residual stress distributions. It is therefore essential to develop an error analysis procedure for the measurements undertaken. Error analysis procedures for the deep hole drilling (DHD) method are developed to consider triaxial residual stresses. A modified deep hole drilling method, called the incremental deep-hole drilling (iDHD), was applied to measure the near yield residual stress distributions in a cold water quenched aluminium 7010 alloy forged block. The experimental results are used to illustrate the errors.

Abstract: This paper examines the extent to which mechanical shot peening (MSP), ultrasonic impact treatment (UIT) and laser shock peening (LSP) can affect the tensile residual stresses in the fusion zone caused by welding for a 10mm multi-pass 'V' groove weld within a 20 mm thick 304L stainless steel plate. Stresses are measured by deep hole drilling, neutron diffraction and incremental center hole drilling. For the UIT and LSP treated samples, the tensile stresses present in the as-welded plate are reversed to compressive stresses to a depth in excess of 2-4mm. For MSP the affected depth is much less (~0.5mm). The depth of these compressive stresses is similar to those measured in 20 mm thick parent plate test coupons.