Simplified LBB Guidance: Stage 1 — Development of a New Software Tool and Initial Scoping Calculations

This study is focussed on establishing more simplified Leak-before-Break (LbB) guidance for inclusion into Section III.11 of the R6 procedure. The approach adopted has involved the development of a universal software tool for LbB simplified assessments which can be used to perform initial scoping calculations to demonstrate typical LbB cases. It is envisaged that this simplified methodology will enable plant assessment engineers to be more informed on which sites on plant are likely to have LbB successfully applied and to be able to undertake LbB assessments in a more simplistic way than is currently available. Using the developed software tool, a range of LbB calculations for different cracks and loading conditions have been performed to provide guidance on where LbB is more likely to be applied on plant. Loading conditions include primary and secondary stresses, where through-wall changes have been accounted for. The pipe geometries included in this study have been defined by the inner radius and the wall thickness, calculated by minimum pipe thickness required according to meet the design rules of ASME III. The pipe inner radius varies from 40mm to 200mm (80mm to 400mm inner diameter (ID)). All pipe outer diameters are less than 0.5m. All cracks considered in this study are through-wall and circumferential. Pipe material properties are chosen to be broadly representative of an Austenitic Stainless Steel, where the fracture toughness varies from 100 to 180MPa√m and the yield stress is 150MPa.