Effects of residual stress on creep damage and crack initiation in notched CT specimens of a Cr–Mo–V steel

In this work, the effects of residual stress on creep damage and crack initiation were investigated by numerical analyses. Two cases of residual stress alone and residual stress combined with primary load were analyzed. The results show that larger residual stress relaxation occurs at initial creep stage, and creep strain and damage are accumulated ahead of notches during residual stress relaxation. It has been demonstrated that the effects of residual stress on creep crack initiation time are related to the creep ductility of materials and primary load levels. This was analyzed by the change in residual stress relaxation time in materials.