• Transactions of the Korean Society of Pressure Vessels and Piping
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.13-22
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• 2012

According to recent research on leak-rate estimates to assess rupture probabilities of nuclear piping which contains a circumferential surface/through-wall cracks due to PWSCC, i.e., xLPR (Extremely Low Probability of Rupture) program, it has been revealed that the use of crack shape with an idealized circumferential through-wall crack during actual crack growth can lead to overestimate of the leak-rate. Thus, for accurate estimation of the leak-rate during crack growth, the more realistic crack shape that can simulate the crack shape transition from surface crack to through-wall crack should be used. In this context, in the present study, the elastic crack opening displacement of slanted circumferential through-wall crack in thick-walled cylinder was proposed based on 3-dimensional elastic finite element fracture mechanics analyses. To propose the elastic crack opening displacement of slanted circumferential through-wall crack in thick-walled cylinder, the geometric variables affecting crack opening displacement, i.e., thickness of cylinder, reference inner crack length and slant crack ratio were systematically varied. In terms of loading conditions, axial tension, global bending moment and internal pressure were considered. The present results can be applied to calculate the leak-rate considering more realistic crack shape transition from surface crack to idealized through-wall crack, and can be expected to enhance current leak-rate estimation scheme, for instance, in xLPR program etc.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.36 no.12
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• pp.1521-1528
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• 2012

The present paper provides the elastic stress intensity factors (SIFs) and the crack opening displacements (CODs) of a thick-walled pipe with a slanted axial through-wall crack. For estimating these elastic fracture mechanics parameters, systematic three-dimensional elastic finite element (FE) analyses were performed by considering geometric variables, i.e., thickness of pipe, reference crack length, and crack length ratio, affecting the SIFs and CODs. As for loading condition, the internal pressure was considered. Based on the FE results, the SIFs and CODs of slanted axial through-wall cracks in a thickwalled pipe along the crack front and the wall thickness were calculated. In particular, to calculate the SIFs of a thick-walled pipe with a slanted axial through-wall crack from those of a thick-walled pipe with an idealized axial through-wall crack, a slant correction factor representing the effect of the slant crack on the SIFs was proposed.

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2007.05a
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• pp.1778-1782
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• 2007

Based on three-dimensional (3-D) FE limit analyses, this paper estimates effect of internal pressure on plastic limit loads for elbows with circumferential through-wall crack under in-plane bending incorporating large geometry change effects. Circumferential through-wall crack in extrados is considered. The FE limit analyses using the large geometry change option provide plastic collapse loads (using the twice-elastic-slope method). For the bending mode, closing bending is considered. Other relevant variables affecting plastic limit loads are systematically varied, related to pipe bend geometry (the mean radius, thickness and bend curvature) and defect geometry (the length of circumferential through-wall crack).

• Proceedings of the KSME Conference
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• 2008.11a
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• pp.725-726
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• 2008

This paper proposes elastic stress intensity factors and crack opening displacements (CODs) for a slanted axial through-wall cracked cylinder under an internal pressure based on detailed 3-dimensional (3-D) elastic finite element (FE) analyses. Based on the elastic FE results, the stress intensity factors along the crack front and CODs through the thickness at the center of the crack were provided. These values were also tabulated for three selected points, i.e., the inner and outer surfaces and at the mid-thickness. The present results can be used to evaluate the crack growth rate and leak rate of a slanted axial through-wall crack due to stress corrosion cracking and fatigue. Moreover, the present results can be used to perform a detailed Leak-Before-Break analysis considering more realistic crack shape development.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.75-84
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• 2007

This paper presents a closed-form model for evaluating the restraint effect of pressure induced bending on the opening of a circumferential through-wall crack, which is considered plastic deformation behavior. Three-dimensional finite element analyses with different crack lengths, restraint conditions, pipe geometries, magnitudes of internal pressure, and tensile properties were used to investigate the influence of each parameter on the pressure-induced bending restraint on the crack opening displacement. From these investigations, an analytical model based on elastic-perfectly plastic material was developed in terms of the crack length, symmetric restraint length, mean radius to thickness ratio, axial stress corresponding to the internal pressure, and normalized crack opening displacement evaluated from a linear-elastic crack opening condition. Finite element analyses results demonstrate that the proposed analytical model reliably estimated the restraint effect of pressure-induced bending on the plastic crack opening of a circumferential through-wall crack and properly reflected the dependence on each parameter within the range over which the analytical expression was derived.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.30 no.5 s.248
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• pp.568-575
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• 2006

The present paper provides plastic limit load solutions of axial and circumferential through-wall cracked pipes based on detailed three-dimensional (3-D) finite element (FE) limit analysis using elastic-perfectly-plastic behavior. As a loading condition, axial tension, global bending moment, internal pressure, combined tension and bending and combined internal pressure and bending are considered for circumferential through-wall cracked pipes, while only internal pressure is considered for axial through-wall cracked pipes. Especially, more emphasis is given for through-wall cracked pipes subject to combined loading. Comparisons with existing solutions show a large discrepancy in short through-wall crack (both axial and circumferential) for internal pressure. In the case of combined loading, the FE limit analyses results show thickness effect on limit load solutions. Furthermore, the plastic limit load solution for circumferential through-wall cracked pipes under bending is applied to derive plastic $\eta\;and\;{\gamma}$-factor of testing circumferential through-wall cracked pipes to estimate fracture toughness. Being based on detailed 3-D FE limit analysis, the present solutions are believed to be meaningful fur structural integrity assessment of through-wall cracked pipes.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.138-146
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• 2013

The present paper provides the elastic stress intensity factors(SIFs) of thick-walled cylinder with non-idealized circumferential through-wall cracks. For estimating these elastic SIFs, the systematic three-dimensional(3D) elastic finite element(FE) analyses were performed. In order to consider practical shape of thick-walled cylinder and non-idealized circumferential through-wall crack, the values of thickness of cylinder, reference crack length and crack length ratio were systematically varied. As for loading conditions, axial tension, global bending and internal pressure were considered. In particular, in order to calculate the SIFs of thick-walled cylinder with non-idealized circumferential through-wall crack from those of thick-walled cylinder with idealized circumferential through-wall crack, the correction factor representing the effect of non-idealized crack on the SIFs were proposed in this paper. The present results can be applied to accurately evaluate the rupture probabilities of nuclear piping considering actual crack growth behaviors.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.30 no.9 s.252
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• pp.1134-1141
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• 2006

This paper presents the model for evaluating restraint effect of pressure induced bending (PIB) on the circumferential through-wall crack opening displacement (COD), which considers plastic behavior of crack. This study performed three-dimensional elastic-plastic finite element (FE) analyses for different crack angle, restraint length, pipe geometry, stress level, and material conditions, and evaluated the influence of each parameter on the PIB restraint effect on COD. Based on these evaluations and additional perfectly-plastic FE analyses, a closed-form model to evaluate the restraint effect of PIB on the plastic crack opening of circumferential through-wall crack, was proposed as functions of crack angle, restraint length, radius to thickness ratio, axial stress corresponding to an internal pressure, and normalized COD evaluated from linear-elastic crack opening condition.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.112-119
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• 2014

In this work, it is aimed to develop the fabrication method of axial stress corrosion cracking (SCC) defects having various sizes, on the outer diameter surface of the steam generator (SG) tubings. To control the length of the artificial SCC defect, the specific area of the SG tubing samples was exposed to an acidic solution after a sensitization heat treatment. During the exposure to an acidic solution, a direct current potential drop (DCPD) method was adopted to monitor the crack depth. The size of the SCC defect was first evaluated by an eddy current test (ECT), and then confirmed by a destructive examination. From the comparison, it was found that the actual crack length was well controlled to be similar to the length of the surface exposed to an acidic solution (5, 10, 20 or 30 mm in this work) with small standard deviation. From in-situ monitoring of the crack depth using the DCPD method, it was possible to distinguish a non-through wall crack from a through wall crack, even though the depth of the non-through wall crack was not able to be precisely controlled. The fabrication method established in this work was useful to simulate the SCC defect having similar size and ECT signals as compared to the field cracks in the SG tubings of the operating Korean PWRs.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.25 no.11
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• pp.1873-1880
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• 2001

The effects of restraint of pressure induced bending(PIB) on crack opening for circumferential through-wall crack in a pipe were investigated. In this study, the elastic and elastic-plastic finite element analyses were performed to evaluate crack opening displacement(COD) for various restraint conditions and crack size. The results showed the restraint of PIB decreased crack opening for a given crack size and tensile stress, and the decrease in crack opening was considerable for large crack and short restraint length. A1so, the effect was more significant in tole results of elastic-plastic analysis compared with in the elastic analysis results. In the elastic-plastic analysis results, tole restraint effect was increased with increasing applied tensile stress corresponding to internal pressure. Additionally, the restraint effect on COD was independent on the variation in pipe diameter and decreased with increasing pipe thickness, and It depended on not total restraint length but shorter restraint length for non-symmetrically restrained.