Abstract
The information of the creep behavior of the thick welded joint is very important to secure the safety of the elevated temperature vessels like the nuclear reactors. The creep behavior of the thick welded joint is very complex, thence it is difficult to practice the experiment or the theoretical analysis.
A simple accurate model for theoretical analysis was developed in the first study. The simple model is constructed of several one-dimensional finite elements which can analyze three-dimensional creep behavior under a assumption. The model is easy to treat, and needs only a little labor and computation time to simulate the creep curve and local strain of the thick welded joint.
In this second study, the capability of the model is expanded to estimate the creep life of the thick welded joint. New model can easily estimate the time of the rupture of the thick welded joint. It is verified by comparing the result with the experimental one that the model can accurately predict the creep life. The histories of the local strains to the rupture time may be observed in the simulation by using the model. The information will be useful to improve the creep characteristics of the joints.
