Leak before break analysis of pipes and vessels in nuclear reactors

The leak before break (LBB) analysis of pressurized piping and vessels, which is developed during the past two decades, is an important advanced technology for the safety of structures in nuclear reactors. In this paper, the state of the art status of research and application of LBB technology is described. Some typical LBB analysis methods and some important problems in LBB analysis process, especially those related to fracture mechanics are discussed. These problems includes the stability analysis of cr...