Assessment of the Residual Strength Thresholds of Composite Pressure Receptacles – Criteria for Hydraulic Load Cycle Testing

Abstract

Abstract The current practice of periodic retesting of composite pressure receptacles primarily based on the hydraulic pressure test has to be evaluated as critical. This is justified by micro damages caused to the specimen by the test itself and by a lack of informative values. Thus, BAM Federal Institute of Materials Research and Testing uses a new validation approach in the case of retest periods of more than 5 years. It enables the description of the condition of a specific design type series based on destructive tests parallel to operation. With respect to this approach it is explained how the statistical evaluation of sample tests and their extrapolation to end of life or at least to the time of next retesting can be achieved. In addition, it is explained how the reliability limits may be linked to the size and pressure level of the respective composite pressure receptacle. The frame of this safety approach includes the influence of the maximum working pressure on the safety assessment. One topic of this approach is the introduction of the working diagram essential for safety assessments that allows graphical evaluation of load cycle strength by mean value, scatter and survival rate of samples as well as instruction how to use it. For this, it is explained how the number of filling cycles and the reduction of the respective hydraulic residual cycle strength interacts with the newly introduced value of specific filling sensitivity.