Sumitomo Metal Industries Ltd (Sumitomo Metals) has succeeded in a full-scale fracture arrest test for the X100 ultra high strength line pipe, which is positioned as the next-generation high strength pipe for gas transmission pipelines. It has been developed to meet the requirements of expanding use and supply of natural gas, a clean form of energy. Up to now, full-scale burst tests of the X100 have not been successful in demonstrating the arrest of ductile running fracture in a high-pressure gas pipeline. Sumitomo Metals’ newest full-scale test, however, has proved the arrest of running fracture, as predicted by a new simulation model developed by the Company. This has become the world’s first successful fracture arrest of the X100 line pipe. This event raised the reliability of safety performance of the X100 and will promote its commercialization for high pressure gas pipelines. Sumitomo Metals has developed a new simulation model to estimate fracture propagation length in high pressures of over 20MPa. The fracture propagation length varies depending on the toughness of the pipe. Based on this new simulation model, the new test method was applied where the fracture arrest length can be measured by arranging the pipes of the same toughness. The test has proved that the X100 ultra high strength line pipe is capable of conveying natural gas at high operating pressures of over 20MPa, and that fracture arrestability exists even if the fracture is initiated by any chance cause.
