Crack Arrest Toughness of High Grade Gas Pipeline

Pipeline transportation is the most economical and reasonable way to transport natural gas. However, there are still some technical problems in high grade gas pipeline, in which fracture control is one of the key problems. The ductile fracture for long-range expansion is the most destructive failure mode of high pressure gas pipeline. In this study, the determination and prediction methods of crack arrest toughness of high grade (X80 and above) pipe line steels were introduced. Their application range, advantages and disadvantages were analyzed. The results showed that the toughness of X80 pipe line steel can meet the needs of the pipeline crack arrest requirements. It is difficult for the ultra-high-grade (X90 and above) pipe line steel to arrest crack by their own toughness. Therefore, the crack arrester should be installed. This paper introduced the crack arrest principle, advantages and disadvantages of various kinds of crack arresters.