Structural integrity evaluation of large main steam piping by water hammering

A main steam pipe system is a branch pipe that connects a boiler with a turbine. Water hammering analysis is very important for limiting the damage caused to pipe systems by operation conditions. Water hammering created by an unsteady flow in pipeline systems can cause excessive change in pressure, vibration, and noise. The main steam pipe structure should be designed to safely maintain the pressure pulsation and several vibrations under operation environments. This study evaluated the structural integrity of a main steam pipe during suspended and normal operation by using the ASME fatigue life methodology and finite element analysis. In the analysis, water hammering was used for transient analysis. The calculated alternating stress and fatigue stress were compared with the applicable limits of ASME fatigue life. All the evaluation results satisfied the requirements of the ASME fatigue life