State variable analysis of inelastic deformation of thin walled tubes

This paper presents the results of inelastic analysis performed to calculate the deformation of a thin-walled tube subjected to a variety of loadings at elevated temperatures. A state variable constitutive model is used to describe material behavior. The material parameters for a particular material - Type 316 austenitic stainless steel - are determined from uniaxial load relaxation and tensile tests, and internally pressurized tube tests. The simulated results are compared with experimental data. The significance of the comparisons is discussed in terms of the validity of the state variable approach used. 18 refs