Emerging challenges to structural integrity technology for high-temperature applications

Abstract

Structural integrity technology has been widely used with great success for the design, manufacture and failure prevention of modern constructions such as chemical and petrochemical plants, power generation and energy conversion systems, as well as space and oceanic exploration. The modern needs of structural integrity technology are largely attributed to the increase of service temperature of the structures that results in the efficiency improvement in energy conversion and chemical processing technologies. Besides the needs arising from large-scale high-temperature plants, the high tech developments, such as micro chemo-mechanical systems and high-power electronics, provide new challenges to structural integrity technology. The present paper summarizes the recent technical progresses in large process plants and the aviation industry, micro chemo-mechanical systems, fuel cells, high-temperature electronics, and packaging and coating technologies. The state-of-the-art of structural integrity technology for high temperature applications is reviewed. Suggestions are provided for the improvement of current design and assessment methods.