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Title: Fracture behavior of circumferentially surface-cracked elbows. Technical report, October 1993--March 1996

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/426950· OSTI ID:426950

This report presents the results from Task 2 of the Second International Piping Integrity Research Group (IPIRG-2) program. The focus of the Task 2 work was directed towards furthering the understanding of the fracture behavior of long-radius elbows. This was accomplished through a combined analytical and experimental program. J-estimation schemes were developed for both axial and circumferential surface cracks in elbows. Large-scale, quasi-static and dynamic, pipe-system, elbow fracture experiments under combined pressure and bending loads were performed on elbows containing an internal surface crack at the extrados. In conjunction with the elbow experiments, material property data were developed for the A106-90 carbon steel and WP304L stainless steel elbow materials investigated. A comparison of the experimental data with the maximum stress predictions using existing straight pipe fracture prediction analysis methods, and elbow fracture prediction methods developed in this program was performed. This analysis was directed at addressing the concerns regarding the validity of using analysis predictions developed for straight pipe to predict the fracture stresses of cracked elbows. Finally, a simplified fitting flaw acceptance criteria incorporating ASME B2 stress indices and straight pipe, circumferential-crack analysis was developed.

Research Organization:
US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), Washington, DC (United States). Div. of Engineering Technology; Battelle Memorial Inst., Columbus, OH (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Washington, DC (United States)
OSTI ID:
426950
Report Number(s):
NUREG/CR-6444; BMI-2192; ON: TI97002497; TRN: 97:003177
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: Dec 1996
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English