Service life of corrosion pitted pipes subject to fatigue loading and hydrogen embrittlement

• Published in: International journal of hydrogen energy Vol. 43; no. 17; pp. 8440 - 8450
• Main Authors: Rajabipour, Ali, Melchers, Robert E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 26.04.2018
• Subjects: Fatigue loading; Hydrogen embrittlement; Pitting corrosion; Service life prediction; Pitting corrosion; Service life prediction; Fatigue loading; Hydrogen embrittlement
• ISSN: 0360-3199; 1879-3487
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2018.03.063

The structural service life of brittle material pipes with exterior corrosion pits is likely to depend on crack initiation and crack development and this may be influenced by pressure loading fluctuations and the possibility of material hydrogen embrittlement. Recently developed methods are used to estimate the cracking pattern, the failure state of the crack development from external pits and the rate of Hydrogen-Assisted Cracking under fluctuating loadings. The effect of hydrogen from the surrounding environment on the cracking rate is formulated using a generalized form of Paris' law. The depth of cracks initiated from surface pits is estimated as a function of pipe age. A realistic example is presented and the results discussed. •Hydrogen Assisted Fatigue Cracking (HAFC) from external pits is modelled.•Effect of pressure surge on cracking is modelled.•Service life of pitted pipes is estimated using the proposed method.