Predictions of Creep Crack Initiation Periods Available to Purchase

Several procedures are available for estimating creep crack initiation (CCI) time periods prior to the onset of creep crack extension from an existing defect in high temperature components. The applicability of a procedure depends on the required material’s data availability. Various methods are described including methods based on the creep fracture mechanics term C*, the crack opening displacement concept and the sigma-d approach. These procedures are applied to, and compared for, an austenitic and ferritic steel of relevance to the electric power generation industry. It is shown that reliable and conservative predictions can be obtained with all methods.