Analytical solutions and tools for assessment of surface cracks in cylindrical components

The paper reviews some advanced stress intensity factor solutions derived for analyses of axial and circumferential surface cracks in cylindrical components subjected to variable stress fields. The solutions are examined considering their validity ranges with respect to the crack and cylinder geometry, ability to account for a complex stress distribution in the pipe wall, as well as their accuracy. A method for estimating errors in numerical stress intensity factor solutions is introduced and applied to a particular set of data. Examples of a leak-before-break assessment and crack growth calculations under thermal fatigue loading are included to demonstrate the solutions performance. The considered analytical stress intensity factor solutions yield close results provided that the stress field in the prospective crack plane is described by a smooth function of the radial coordinate. For two-dimensional stress profiles as well as for variable ratios of the cylinder wall thickness to the inner radius, a selective use of the solutions is recommended considering their specific features and validity ranges.