Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://idr.l1.nitk.ac.in/jspui/handle/123456789/15467
Title: Failure Analysis of Cooling Tower Fan-Arm
Authors: Padasale B.
Kumar J.K.R.
Sondar P.R.
Govindarajan S.
Hegde S.R.
Issue Date: 2020
Citation: Journal of Failure Analysis and Prevention Vol. 20 , 4 , p. 1417 - 1425
Abstract: This work presents failure investigation of cooling tower fan-arms commissioned in a chemical processing plant. The analysis aims at understanding the mechanism and root-cause of the failure. The investigation involves site visits, microstructural analysis, fracture surface analysis, hardness measurements, numerical stress analysis and experimental simulation. Work concludes that the fan-arms failed due to the lack of post-weld heat treatment, which caused localized stress-corrosion and pitting at critical locations that served as crack initiation sites. Fatigue loading condition and presence of residual stresses at the weld enabled easy propagation of cracks that led to recurring premature failure. Based on the root-cause and the mechanism identified in this analysis, proper pre-heating and post-weld heat treatment is recommended to relieve the residual stresses at the critical locations and thus to avoid/minimize such recurring failures in future. © 2020, ASM International.
URI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11668-020-00947-1
http://idr.nitk.ac.in/jspui/handle/123456789/15467
Appears in Collections:1. Journal Articles

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