Journal article
Probabilistic fracture analysis of cracked pipes with circumferential flaws
The International journal of pressure vessels and piping, Vol.70(3), pp.223-236
1997
DOI: 10.1016/S0308-0161(96)00034-8
Abstract
This paper describes the development of a probabilistic fracture-mechanics model for analyzing circumferential through-walled-cracked pipes subject to bending loads. It involves elastic-plastic finite element analysis for estimating energy release rates,
J-tearing theory for characterizing ductile fracture, and standard structural reliability methods for conducting probabilistic analysis. The evaluation of the
J-integral is based on the deformation theory of plasticity and power-law idealizations of stress-strain and fracture toughness curves. This allows
J to be expressed in terms of non-dimensional influence functions (
F- and
h
1-functions) that depend oncrack size, pipe geometry, and material hardening constant. New equations were developed to represent these functions. Both analytical and simulation methods were formulated to determine the probabilistic characteristics of
J. The same methods were used later to predict the failure probability of pipes as a function of applied load. Numerical examples are provided to illustrate the proposed methodology. The validity of the
J-integral based on the proposed equations for predicting the crack driving force in a through-wall-cracked pipe was evaluated by comparison with available results in the current literature. Probability densities of the
J-intergral were predicted as a function of applied loads. Failure probabilities corresponding to three different performance criteria were evaluated for stanless steel nuclear piping from a boiling water reactor plant. The results suggest that large differences may exist in the failure probability estimates produced by these performance criteria.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Probabilistic fracture analysis of cracked pipes with circumferential flaws
- Creators
- S Rahman - Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa 52242, USA
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- The International journal of pressure vessels and piping, Vol.70(3), pp.223-236
- Publisher
- Elsevier Ltd
- DOI
- 10.1016/S0308-0161(96)00034-8
- ISSN
- 0308-0161
- eISSN
- 1879-3541
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 1997
- Academic Unit
- Mechanical Engineering
- Record Identifier
- 9984064566602771
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