Overview of tube sheet fatigue life assessment methods

Tube sheet fatigue life assessment aims to predict its failure cycle under cyclic loading, ensuring safe equipment operation. Common methods include the stress-life method (S-N curve), the strain-life method (suitable for high-strain materials), and fracture mechanics methods (considering crack propagation). These methods calculate lifespan using experimental data or theoretical models and are widely applied in pressure vessels and heat exchangers.

Assessment Steps and Influencing Factors
Assessment typically involves three steps: analyzing material properties (such as S-N curves), calculating stress distribution, and predicting lifespan based on the load spectrum. Key factors include material properties, environmental conditions, and load characteristics, which require finite element analysis or experimental verification to improve accuracy.

Method Applications and Challenges
These methods are used in industry to optimize design and reduce maintenance costs, but face challenges such as insufficient data and model complexity. Future research needs to combine advanced technologies such as machine learning to improve the accuracy and applicability of the assessment.