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Title: Towards an analysis of leak-before-break assessments in the ductile tearing regime

Conference ·
OSTI ID:10139672

This paper presents the elastic-plastic fracture analysis of a typical semi-elliptical axial surface flaw growing to a thru-thickness flaw and assessing the leak-before break situation in a pressure vessel subject to pressure. The paper first discusses the semi-elliptical flaw J-integral solution and the thru-thickness flaw solution as modified herein. Then a review is presented of the three ductile tearing stability fracture analysis methods based on the fully plastic J-integral solution; (1) the crack driving force diagram, (2) the tearing modulus diagram, and (3) the failure assessment diagram. These methods are then used to determine the factors of safety to initiation of ductile tearing as the crack grows. Factors of safety based on either pressure alone or crack size alone are illustrated. An illustration is given of a leak-before-break solution discussing the semi-elliptical flaw growing to a thru-thickness flaw in the vessel. The paper concludes with a discussion of additional effort needed to better characterize leak-before-break solutions in the ductile tearing regime.

Research Organization:
Westinghouse Electric Corp., Monroeville, PA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
Department of Defense, Washington, DC (United States)
OSTI ID:
10139672
Report Number(s):
WPAD-OPA-TI-1; CONF-910602-78; ON: DE94009419; NC: NONE
Resource Relation:
Conference: 1991 American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) pressure vessels and piping conference,San Diego, CA (United States),23-28 Jun 1991; Other Information: PBD: [1991]
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English