• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.712-718
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• 2015

Cast duplex stainless steels are susceptible to thermal aging during long-term service at temperatures ranging from $280^{\circ}C$ to $450^{\circ}C$. To analyze the effect of thermal aging on leak-before-break (LBB) behavior, three-dimensional finite element analysis models were built for circumferentially cracked pipes. Based on the elasticeplastic fracture mechanics theory, the detectable leakage crack length calculation and J-integral stability assessment diagram approach were carried out under different bending moments. The LBB curves and LBB assessment diagrams for unaged and thermally aged pipes were constructed. The results show that the detectable leakage crack length for thermally aged pipes increases with increasing bending moments, whereas the critical crack length decreases. The ligament instability line and critical crack length line for thermally aged pipes move downward and to the left, respectively, and unsafe LBB assessment results will be produced if thermal aging is not considered. If the applied bending moment is increased, the degree of safety decreases in the LBB assessment.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.70-76
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• 2013

Several finite element models for the leak-before-break (LBB) assessment of overlay dissimilar metal weldment were constructed and analyzed to develop a simple finite element modeling method. The J-integral, crack opening displacement (COD) and J-integral distribution along the crack front in thickness direction due to the applied moment were obtained from the analysis results of the constructed finite element models, and studied compared to the previous literatures. It is concluded that the modeling with base material only is simple and produces a slightly conservative results compared to the complex modeling composed with weld metal and base metal in the calculation of J-integrals and COD values which are used for the calculation of fracture toughness and postulated leakage crack length respectively.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.39 no.7
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• pp.645-652
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• 2015

In this study, a method for determining Ramberg-Osgood constants for leak-before-break evaluation was investigated. The Ramberg-Osgood constants were calculated for SA312, TP316, and SA-508 Gr.1a in an operating temperature of $316^{\circ}C$. Incremental plasticity, using stress-strain data obtained from experiment, and deformation plasticity, using the Ramberg-Osgood constants, were considered in a finite element analysis. Using incremental plasticity and deformation plasticity, J-integrals and crack opening displacement values were calculated and compared. By comparing the results of incremental plasticity and deformation plasticity, a suitable method for determining Ramberg-Osgood constants for leak-before-break evaluation was confirmed.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.204-214
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• 1993

Work on fracture mechanics has provided a technical basis for elimination of main coolant loop double ended guillotine breaks from the structural design basis of reactor coolant system. Without main coolant loop pipe breaks, the tributary pipe breaks must be considered as design bases until further fracture mechanics work could eliminate some of these breaks from design consideration. This paper determines the core support barrel shell responses for the 3 inch pressurizer spray line nozzle break which is expected to be the only inlet break remaining in the primary side after leak-before-break evaluation is extended to smaller size pipes in the near future. The responses are compared with those due to 14 inch safety injection nozzle break and main coolant loop pipe break. The results show that, when the leak-before-break concept is applied to the primary side piping systems with a diameter of 10 inches or over, the core support barrel shell responses due to pipe breaks in the primary side are negligible for the faulted condition design.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.34 no.6
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• pp.725-730
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• 2010

The leak-before-break behavior and the crack opening displacement were investigated of statically indeterminate piping system and statically determinate piping system after a crack penetration. The reduction in the ultimate strength caused by a crack was relatively small in the statically indeterminate piping system. The leak-before-break in the statically indeterminate piping system had a larger safety margin than that in the statically determinate piping system. The crack opening displacement after crack penetration in a pipe with a nonpenetrating crack was evaluated by using a plastic rotation angle.

• Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.10-20
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• 2001

The leak before break(LBB) concept is difficult to apply to a structure with a thin tube that is immersed in a water environment. A heat exchanger in a nuclear power plant is such a structure. The present paper addresses an application of the LBB concept to a heat exchanger in a nuclear power plant. The minimum leaked coolant amount(approximately 37.9 liters) containing the radioactive material which can activate the radiation detector device installed in near the heat exchanger is assumed. A postulated initial flaw size that can not grow to a critical flaw size within the time period to activate the radiation detector is justified. In this case, the radiation detector can activate the warning signal caused by coolant leakage from initially postulated flaws of the heat exchanger. The nuclear plant can safely shutdown when this occurs. Since the postulated initial flaw size can not grow to the critical flaw size, the structural integrity of the heat exchanger is not impeded. Particularly the informational scenario presented in this paper discusses an actual nuclear plant.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.35-46
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• 2020

In this paper, a fracture mechanics evaluation system which can be used to assess the leak-before-break (LBB) of nuclear piping is developed. Existing solutions for calculating the fracture mechanics parameters (J-integral and crack opening displacement) required for LBB evaluation were firstly presented. Then a module for calculating J-integral and COD was developed, with an additional module for predicting the critical load based on the crack driving force diagram to finally develop a fracture mechanics evaluation system. To confirm the validity of the proposed evaluation system, finite element (FE) analysis was performed, and the FE J-integral and COD results were compared with prediction results using the J-integral and COD estimations program. Furthermore, the critical load assessment module was verified by comparing the actual pipe test results (Battelle test data) with prediction results using the proposed program.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers
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• v.16 no.8
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• pp.1446-1450
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• 1992

A method of prediction for the fatigue life of surface crack, that is, initial cracks grow and penetrate through the thickness, was presented in the previous study of the authors. Effects of parameters such as the initial crack depth, material factors, etc., for the life were also discussed. However, in the case of adapting the concept of LBB(Leak Before Break), the break fatigue life after the penetration of the thickness must be taken into account. Hence, a method to predict the break fatigue life is presented in this paper. Effects of the parameters for the break fatigue life are discussed and compared with the penetration fatigue life.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.1862-1871
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• 1996

The puopose of this paper is sto modify the current LBB criteria. The validity of current LBB criteria and current standard LBB analysis mehtod are evaluated using linear elastic fracture mechanics and elastic-plastic fracture mechanics. The results of evaluation demonstrate that the current LBB driteria are very conservative and some level of margins already exist in the standard LBB analysis method. Thus, the margin on load .root. and margin on crack size 2 can be eliminated to extend LBB application for the samller diameter pipe.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.40 no.9
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• pp.821-826
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• 2016

The leak before break (LBB) concept is used in pipe line design for nuclear power plants. For application of the LBB concept, leak rates through cracks should be evaluated accurately. Usually leak late analyses are performed for through-thickness cracks with constant cross-sectional area. However, the cross-sectional area at the inner pipe surface of a crack can be different from that at the outer surface. In this paper, leak rate analyses are performed for the cracks with linearly-varying cross-sectional areas. The effect of varying the cross-sectional area on leak rates was examined. Leak rates were also evaluated for cracks in bi-material pipes. Finally, the effects of crack surface morphology parameters on leak rates were examined.