Failure Analysis of Cooling Tower Fan-Arm

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dc.contributor.authorPadasale, B.
dc.contributor.authorKumar, J.K.R.
dc.contributor.authorSondar, P.R.
dc.contributor.authorCadambi, S.
dc.contributor.authorHegde, S.R.
dc.date.accessioned2026-02-05T09:28:24Z
dc.date.issued2020
dc.description.abstractThis work presents failure investigation of cooling tower fan-arms commissioned in a chemical processing plant. The analysis aims at understanding the mechanism and root-cause of the failure. The investigation involves site visits, microstructural analysis, fracture surface analysis, hardness measurements, numerical stress analysis and experimental simulation. Work concludes that the fan-arms failed due to the lack of post-weld heat treatment, which caused localized stress-corrosion and pitting at critical locations that served as crack initiation sites. Fatigue loading condition and presence of residual stresses at the weld enabled easy propagation of cracks that led to recurring premature failure. Based on the root-cause and the mechanism identified in this analysis, proper pre-heating and post-weld heat treatment is recommended to relieve the residual stresses at the critical locations and thus to avoid/minimize such recurring failures in future. © 2020, ASM International.
dc.identifier.citationJournal of Failure Analysis and Prevention, 2020, 20, 4, pp. 1417-1425
dc.identifier.issn15477029
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.1007/s11668-020-00947-1
dc.identifier.urihttps://idr.nitk.ac.in/handle/123456789/23788
dc.publisherSpringer
dc.subjectChemical analysis
dc.subjectChemical industry
dc.subjectCooling towers
dc.subjectCracks
dc.subjectHeat treatment
dc.subjectLocalized corrosion
dc.subjectResidual stresses
dc.subjectStress analysis
dc.subjectStress corrosion cracking
dc.subjectSurface analysis
dc.subjectWelds
dc.subjectChemical processing plants
dc.subjectCrack initiation sites
dc.subjectExperimental simulations
dc.subjectFracture surface analysis
dc.subjectMicrostructural analysis
dc.subjectNumerical stress analysis
dc.subjectPost weld heat treatment
dc.subjectPropagation of cracks
dc.subjectFailure (mechanical)
dc.titleFailure Analysis of Cooling Tower Fan-Arm

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