3-D finite element analysis of welding residual stress for half-pipe jacket made of 304 stainless steel

The problem of half-pipe jacket equipment is the leakage induced by cracks in half-pipe welding position. Welding residual stress is one of the main influential factors. Using finite element analysis software ABAQUS, a multi-sequentially coupling finite element program was developed to calculate the welding residual stress for half-pipe jacket of 304 stainless steel. The moving Gaussian heat source was realized using the subroutine DFLUX complied by FORTRAN language. With this program and subroutine, 3-D welding residual stress field of T-joint for half-pipe was obtained and analyzed. The result shows that the stress is much larger near the T-joint zone, which induces the cracking and leakage easily sometimes. The analysis from calculation result provides theory references for optimizing the welding parameter and controlling the welding residual stress. It is of great significance for increasing the reliability and safety of half-pipe jacket equipment.