Three Dimensional Finite Element Analyses of Welding Residual Stresses of a Repaired Weld

The objective of this study is to correct installation non-conformance of a surge line using the excavation and re-weld method which is widely used in nuclear power plants. The surge line with a backslope was not at the required design level after initial installation. In order to solve the problem, a repairing technology is shown as follows: the weld was successively excavated and welded again while the surge line slope was corrected with the help of jacks. Because many of the degradation mechanisms relevant to power plant components can be accelerated by the presence of welding residual stresses (WRS), the WRS caused by the repairing process need to be studied. In this paper, the WRS simulation technique employed in this project is sophisticated. It utilizes a 3-D finite element (FE) model, and simulates the weld sequencing and excavation. Moreover, the WRS simulation performed in this project not only uses the un-axisymmetric model, but also considers the deformation caused by the external jacking loads. The results show that the repairing process is effective, and strain damage induced by the welding repair is also acceptable.