Thermomechanical behaviour analysis and simulation of steel/refractory composite linings

In steel ladles (steel industry) or in coal-fired power plants (energy production), the refractory linings anchored to the steel structure (casing) are subjected to significant thermal loadings which lead to cracking (owing to the difference between the thermal expansion coefficients). A first approach allows us to analyse the problem at a local scale: a smeared crack model permits the computation of the damage which is observed in an experimental test. But since a structure contains thousand of anchors, it is not possible to compute it with this model. An approach was therefore developed with a two-layered shell equivalent to the anchored lining and the casing. This model is identified with an inverse method and uses results from the first approach, validated by a bending test performed on a refractory lining specimen. The damage computing of a structure shows that it is very important to take the expansion joints into account. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.