Numerical Analysis of Fracture Failure Behavior of Refractory Lining in Coal-Water Slurry Gasifier

[Image: see text] Fatigue crack fracture is one of the main reasons for the failure of a refractory lining in a coal-water slurry gasifier. To explore the fracture failure behavior of a refractory lining during the operation of a gasifier, the stress intensity factor (SIF) and J-integral at crack front were calculated by the finite element method, and a crack growth model for the refractory was established. At the same time, the effects of different crack length, depth, and angle on the stress and SIF, as well as J-integral distribution around the crack-tip, were presented. The simulation results demonstrated that very large stresses occurring at the crack tip and the distribution regulation of K(I) and J-integral along the crack front for surface cracks were similar. The maximum values occurred near the two ends of the crack (θ = 0°, 180°), and the minimum values appeared near the deepest crack front (θ = 90°). K(I) and J-integral values at the same position increase with increasing crack length and depth and decrease with the angle of crack when the a/c was kept constant. Furthermore, J-integral results indicated that excessive crack depths were likely to cause destabilizing crack growth. These results have provided a reliable theoretical basis for fracture analysis and life prediction of the refractory lining in a gasifier.