Correlation of Test and FEA Results on the Ratcheting Behavior of Pipe Bends

Recently, it is well appreciated that the use of FEM analysis to predict any type of phenomenon and behavior without many experimental work are used extensively In all fields. This paper summarizes the literatures on piping elbows focused on the correlation o f finite element analyses with in-plane bending experiments on piping elbows. It also includes the summary of ratcheting experiments on piping elbows. The most powerful FEA non-destructive method of testing in recent scenario has helped to solve many a nonlinear behavior of structures. Ratcheting phenomenon as a material behavior itself is not fully understood. This failure mode as a structural phenomenon in the most elastic piping component-elbows, is not easy to exactly predict. The presence of ratcheting in small size, small radius elbows (2 inch schedule 40) has been experimentally proved but their occurrence is in hoop direction, which is unpredicted. A FEA analysis performed using ABAQUS v6.5 finite element code using Chaboche non-linear kinematic hardening material model on comparison to experimental results summarized in literatures show similar acceptable results. The results are encouraging and may be extrapolated to other conditions to predict the phenomenon. The reasons are discussed in this literature.