The influence of surface roughness on fluid flow through cracks

ABSTRACT Leak‐before‐break (l‐b‐b) safety cases depend on predictions of flow rate through postulated cracks. The calculated flow rates are dependent upon assumptions made about a number of features including fluid friction, and this in turn is influenced by surface roughness and flow regime. This paper considers the uncertainties associated with flow rate prediction in both the laminar and fully rough turbulent regimes as influenced by fluid friction. It shows how uncertainties can be bounded. In particular it discusses the maximum values for fluid friction that might arise in practice. The use of computational fluid dynamics in future analyses could significantly reduce the uncertainties associated with fluid friction in cracks.