A new coupled fluid–structure modeling methodology for running ductile fracture

A coupled fluid–structure modeling methodology for running ductile fracture in pressurized pipelines has been developed. The pipe material and fracture propagation have been modeled using the finite-element method with a ductile fracture criterion. The finite-volume method has been employed to simulate the fluid flow inside the pipe, and the resulting pressure profile was applied as a load in the finite-element model. Choked-flow theory was used for calculating the flow through the pipe crack. A comparison to full-scale tests of running ductile fracture in steel pipelines pressurized with hydrogen and with methane has been done, and very promising results have been obtained.