Modified Dyson Continuum Damage Model for Austenitic Steel Alloy

Ultrasuper critical (USC) thermal plants are now in operation around the globe. Their applications include superheaters and reheaters, which generally require high temperature/pressure conditions. To withstand these harsh conditions, an austenitic heat-resistant HR3C (ASME TP310NbN) steel was developed for metal creep resistance. As the designed life time of a typical thermal plant is 150,000 h, it is very important to predict long-term creep behavior. In this study, a three-state variable continuum damage model (CDM) was modified for better estimation of long-term creep life. Accelerated uniaxial creep tests were performed to determine the material parameters. Also, the rupture type and microstructural precipitation were observed by scanning electron microscopy. The creep life of HR3C steel was predicted using only relatively short-term creep test data and was then successfully verified by comparison with the long-term creep data.