Determination of the Durability of Elements of Power-Generating Equipment with Regard for the Influence of Working Media

We propose an engineering approach to the analysis of the strength and durability of structural elements of power-generating equipment with regard for the influence of hydrogen-containing media, high pressures, and elevated temperatures. We study the stress-strain state of a boiler drum made of 22K steel, under the operating conditions with regard for the hydrogenation of its wall and the actual geometry of the drum. We compute the parameter of accumulated damage to the drum metal for different operating conditions. It is shown that hydrogen accelerates the accumulation of defects and reduces the operating time of the metal by 20-30% in the case of a scheduled shutdown of the boiler and by 30-40% in the case of its emergency shutdown.