Fatigue life prediction of a stainless steel plate-fin structure using equivalent-homogeneous-solid method

Stainless steel plate-fin heat exchangers are key components in nuclear power stations and hydrogen production systems using High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactors (HTGR). Fatigue is the most failure mode for plate-fin structures because they operate under cyclic high pressures and high temperatures. This paper establishes a life prediction method of fatigue based on equivalent-homogeneous-solid method for a 304 stainless steel plate-fin structure. A finite element analysis (FEA) program of fatigue life has been developed, which has been verified by fatigue experiments. By using this method, both the local stress concentration and the fatigue life for the whole plate-fin structure can be predicted. The results show that the fatigue cracks initiate at the fillet and then propagate to the interface and eventually the base metal of fin. The fatigue fracture in the filler metal shows brittle character, while typical dimple and striation are shown in the base metal.