Thermal distortion analysis method for TMCP steel structures using shell element

Abstract

As ships become larger, thicker and higher tensile steel plate are used in shipyard. Though special chemical compositions are required for high-tensile steels, recently they are made by the TMCP (Thermo-Mechanical control process) methodology. The increased Yield / Tensile strength of TMCP steels compared to the normalized steel of same composition are induced by suppressing the formation of Ferrite and Pearlite in favor of strong and tough Bainite while being transformed from Austenite. But this Bainite phase could be vanished by another additional thermal cycle like welding and heating. As thermal deformations are deeply related by yield stress of material, the study for prediction of plate deformation by heating should reflect the principle of TMCP steels. The present study is related to the development of an algorithm which could calculate inherent strain. In this algorithm, not only the mechanical principles of thermal deformations, but also the initial portion of Bainite is considered when calculating inherent strain. Distortion analysis results by these values showed good agreements with experimental results for normalized steels and TMCP steels during welding and heating. This algorithm has also been used to create an inherent strain database of steels in Class rule.

Keywords

• TMCP steel
• Thermal distortion analysis
• Inherent strain
• Finite element method
• Shell element